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be  satisfied  with   merely 
._dde— w     .iiust  have  the  largest  growth 
iized  and  a,  ,er  of  Corr  merce,  backed    up    bv  every 


«!tky  Mount  is  har<jj£  .Acelled  in  the  world  for  richness  of  soil  and  the  variety 

ire  grown  successt<\'!>\     Rocky  Mount  is  a  cotton   inarket    of    note,    one  of  the 

state, and  a  big  sTnpping  point  for  the  products  of  the  truck  farm.     The  soil   is  ad- 

otton,  tobacco-,  oats,  corn,  wheat,  peanuts,  alfalfa  and  almost  all  kinds  of  grasses. 

ire  no  floods  and  no  droughts.  The  crops  are  sure. 

condition  therefore  of  the  country  round  about  the  city  are  no  less  notable  than  those 

w  iand,  with  a  good  clay  subsoil,  bearing  its  abundant    fruits  of  labor,    and   dotted   with 

..ith  telephones, automobiles  and  other  modern  conveniences,  peopled  by  a  sturdy,    industrious 

':   filiation,  constitute  one  of  the  city's  most  valuable  assets.     The  cultivation   of  the  land   is  done 

-.itelligently,  with  the  most  improved  farming  utensils  and  machinery.     Stock,  dairy   and   truck   farms 

profits,  and  here  is  found  some  of  the  finest  blooded  cattle  to  be  seen  an}  where.     And  yet,   the  country 

.that  it  is  yet  in  its  earliest  morning;  and  the  farmers,  improving  in  skill  afd  intelligence  each   year,    rais- 

"  of  boys  educated   in  practical  agriculture,  continue  to  eagerly  seek  for  "ther  means  of  improving  their 

thods,  utensils  and  the  iand.     The  future  holds  glowing  promise. 

the  center  of  this,  one  of  the  fairest  and  most  bounteous  lands  created  by  the  Almighty,    populated   by  a 

ired  by  the  Historian  to  be  "the  freest  of  the  free,"  who  have  just  now  learned  to  apply  their  intelligence 

0  commercial  affairs,  lies  ROCKY  MOUNT,  the  energy-panoplied  young  giant  of  the  East,  already  North 

istest  growing  city. 
&  s       y 

The  Best  Governed  City  in  North  Carolina. 

of  Rocky  Mount  as  a  well-governed  community,  one  whose  bus  ess  affairs  are  administered  in  a  bus- 
been  well-established  ever  since  the  city  was  a  village.  No  gt  >r  scandal,  no  whisper  of  dishonesty 
•y.  has  ever  marred  the  white  record  of  the  municipal  govern  ,  Those  not  familiar  with  the  facts 
ces  have  sometimes  marvelled  at  Rocky  Mount's  unusual  g<  une  in  this  respect.   But  theansv  er 


•ene  Looking  North  on  Main  Street. 


Showing  four  buildings  of  the  Railroad  Shops  at  South  Rocky  Mount. 

%v S6  Whe"  \uU  ku?Wt  u  Jt[s  ^is:  the  best,  broadest  and  most  capable  business  and  professional  men  of  the 
i  tn  h,  fhneVwr/h0Ught  'i  b£.neath  them  t0  take  an  active  Part  in  municipal  politics;  yea  more,  they  have  recognized 
^^.dUSa^f°?d^M?&t0*ethilt-flieg0vernment  be  clean  and  economical,  and  have  been  willing  to 
SSS^S^^gH^  reribility'  The  **  theref0re'  h3S  bee"  in  ^d  and  ca>able  **  fafthS 
Pv„R,0CkyuM0UntJu  Proud  of  ^r  line  of  mayors.  During  the  past  twenty  years,  the  following  have  occupied  the 
execuhve  chair:  Thomas  H.  Battle  (Mayor  ten  years,Alderman  fifteen  years,  Chairman  School  Boar  since  1 886 
£  I  iw>T  Tn8The  Co7Am*ttee  fortte,n  y^s jto  July  1910,)  W.  L.  Thorpe  (Attorney  at  Law.)  Joseph  Bake  (Attorney 
at  Law)  T.  T.  Thorne  Attorney  at  Law  and  now  State  Senator,)  and  the  present  Mayor  Mr  Joseph  B  Ramsev 
These  would  compare  favorably  with  the  chief  executives  of  the  best  governed  and  larg?s  c  t  es  of  the  natfon ,  *" 

The  present  city  government  is  as  follows:  nanon. 

Mayor  and  Recorder,  Joseph  B.  Ramsey  (Attorney  at  Law,  and  President  First  National  Bank) 

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l  Realty  CO.,  and  Treasurer  of  the  Rocky  Mount  «k)  ^ 

C.  H.  Harris, 
Mayor  Pro  Tempore  . 

E  L  Daughtridge,  (Planter  and  large  real  estate  owner) 
Fire  C/ii'e/ 
Dr.  John  Battle, 
Chief  Of  Police 
J.  S.  Davis. 
City  'Physician 
Dr.  Ivan  Battle. 
Supt.  Electric  Plant 

A.  S.  Lyon. 
ylLDE^ME^C. 

j  C  Braswel.  (President  The  YlJS^^f  Abran,  (of  Abrann  Book  Co.) 

W.  D.  Joyner,   Jr.  (of  JoynerWoS)  B.  L.  Daughtridge  (Planter) 

L  P.  Matthews  (of  A.  C.  L.  R  R-Co  )  W.  H.  Home  (Planter) 

*  for,   A  C   L  R  R  °Co  )  WaR  Lancaster,  (of  Battle  &  Lancaster,  Furniture  House) 
W.B.Darrow(Supt.ofTransportahon,  A.  C.  L.  *•  "^ ^ 

R  R  Gay,  (of  Gay  &Arrington,  Hardware.) 

Sixf/i  WW  . 

The  *  Kuauees  are  now,  as  usuat,  uTe£eSS„^,U SSi**-*  -  -  go»er„meu,  are  wo* 


Scene  on  the  Railroad  Yards  at  South  Rocky  Mount  showing  thousands  of  car  wheels, 
ing  efficiently  and  in  harmony.     The  police  forceps  admirably  manned,  and  with  the  mayor  properly 


the 
the 


path  of  the  evil-doer  is  rendered  mighty  hard  in  Rocky  Mount.     The  people  are  law-abiding^  too  busy  to  break 
law  if  they  had  the  inclination,  and  public  sentiment  is  behind  law  enforcement  in  every  case. 

The  whole  city  takes  pride  in  the  reputation  of  the  city  government,  and  under  these  circumstances  it  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at  that  Rocky  Mount  can  with  good  reason,  claim  to  be,  not  only  the  fastest  growing  city  in  North  Car- 
olina, but  also  the  best-governed  city  in  the  Tar  Heel  State. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

It  has  been  indeed  fortunate  for  Rocky  Mount  that  its  citizens  early  recognized  the  great  importance  of  concert 
of  action;  and  it  is  to  this  fact  that  much  of  the  city's  extraordinary  growth  and  development  must   be   attributed      It 
was  the  good  fortune  of  the  community  in  the  beginning  to  be  settled  by  men  of  strong  and   broad-guaged   ancestry 
whose  natures  were  too  big  for  them  to  be  blinded  to  the  interests  of  the  city  by  their  own  private   individual   affairs! 

11 


ACL    Relief  Department  Hospita1. 

Theref„reRo*vMo»„,hasbee„no«ytree,rom  those  petty  iea.ou.es  and  ,oca,    feuos  toa«    Have    so   ^ 
P  12 


Pavillion  at  Oakland  Park. 

Scene  along  Main  Street. 

other  enterprises,  was  its  first  President,  and  its  membership  has  included  and  does  include,  the  business  and  pro- 
fessional strength  of  the  city.  Its  accomplishments  have  been  very  crediitable,  and  it  is  felt  now  that  the  organization 
is  entering  on  a  still  larger  usefulness. 

In  the  fall  of  1910,  it  was  decided  that  better  results  might  be  obtained  and  the  organization  prove  more  effective, 
if  funds  were  raised  and  a  capable  business  manager  employed  for  his  whole  time,  who  would  maintain  offices  in  the 
city  and  devote  his  entire  energy  to  the  interests  of  the  community  as  a  city.     This  has  been  done. 

13 


Imperial  Tobacco  Company's  Building,  considered  Absolutely  f.re  proof  and  costing  nearly  $ 


100,000. 


The  officers  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  are  now  as  follows:  President  Lewis  C.  Levy  (of  Braswell  &  Levy, 
Tobacco)  Vice  Presidents  R  B.  Davis  Jr.,  (Cashier  First  National  Bank)  F.  A.  Hampton  (Attorney  at  Law);Secre- 
ta?y  &  Treasurer  JW  Aycock  (Cashier  The  Planters  Bank);  Business  Manager,  John  L.  Arnngton;  Execut.ve 
Committee,  J.  W.  Hines,  J.  W.  Aycock,  W.  S.  Wilkinson,  L.  C.  Levy. 

14 


The  offices  of  the  Chamber  are  on  the  Second  Floor  of  The  Planters  Bank.  A  postal  card  will  bring  ^erature 
and  a  full  exhibit  and  explanation  of  what  the  city  has  to  offer,  to  any  one  who  makes  enquiry.  Free  fac tory  sites 
and  other  substantial  inducements  are  offered  to  manufacturing  enterprises.     Address  John   L.    Arnngton,    Business 

The  Schools  of  the  City. 

In  the  determined  and  unremitting  building  of  the  city,  Rocky  Mount  citizens  have  not  ■ overlooked  the  fact  that 
one  of  the  corner-stones  of  the  structure  must  be  adequate  educational  facilities  for  their  children.  They  have  been 
the  reverse  of  niggardly  in  this  respect,  and  have  responded  nobly  to  every  educational  need.  The  public  schools  or 
the  city  are  institutions  in  which  every  loyal  Rocky  Mounter  takes  the  deepest  pride.  BIlhlirh„    flnH  a 

In  1902  a  graded  school  district  was  created  that  embraced  within  its  limits,  he  whole  town  and  suburbs,  and  a 
bond  issue  provided  the  necessary  funds  for  the  building  and  equipment.  A  brick  building  of  fine  proportions  was 
ejected  thoroughly  modern  in  all  of  its  appointments.  The  first  year  of  the  school,  the  students,  numbered  about 
350 'with  twelve teachers  The  growth  of  the  schools  has  been  very  rapid.  In  1909  another  building  was  erected  n 
the  opposite side  of  the  town,  much  larger  than  the  first.  This  new  building  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Marygo Id 
and  RPaTeigh  Its,  and  has  few  superiors  in  size  and  beauty  of  architecture  in  North  CaroUna  A  conse  rva tjve  es  .mate 
would  fix  the  value  of  the  public  school  buildings  of  the  city  at  this  time  at  nearly  $60,000.00.  The  past  year,  the 
number  of  students  attending  the  white  schools  was  approximately  1,000. 

Nor  have  the  people  of  Reeky  Mount  forgotten  their  duty  to  the  colored  children  A  convenient  and  commodious 
building  has  been  provided  for  the  negroes,  with  a  competent  corps  of  teachers.  The  enrollment  of  the  colored 
graded  school  the  past  year  was  nearly  400. 

The  officials  that  have  in  charge,  the  educational  interests  of  the  city,  are  as  follows: 

BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES. 

Thomas  H.  Battle,  Chairman;  L.  V.  Bassett.  Secretary;  J.  C.  Braswell  W.  S.  Wilkinson ,TL  ^home  Ed 
Gorham,  Geo.  J.  Hales,  Geo.  L.  Parker,  J.  Q.  Robinson.  Superintendent,  Prof  Z.  B.  McW  horter  (Vanderb.lt 
University  and  Peabody  Normal  College);  Principal,  E.  M   Highsmith   A.B.,  (University  of  North  Carolina 

Teachers-  First  Grade,  Misses  Nemmie  G.  Paris,  and  Bessie  McDearman,  and  Mrs  C.  Y^  Thorpe,  Second 
Grade,  Misses  Martha  Darden,  Mary  Lee  Shine,  Nellie  Arrington;   Third   Grade,   Misses   Add.e  Pans,    Nannie   B. 

15 


Cooper,  Mavis  Lucile  Griffin;  Fourth  Grade,  Misses  Fannie  T.  Anderson,  Claude  Bassett,  Lulu  H.  Jackson;  Fifth 
Grade,  Misses  Fannie  Gorham  and  Mary  Embra  Morton;  Sixth  Grade,Miss  Bessie  C.  Whitehead  and  Hattie  Strachan; 
Seventh  Grade,  Misses  Nannie  E.  Richardson  and  Lucy  Dillard  Hall;  Eighth  Grade  Miss  Margaret  Redmond. 
Music  Teachers,  Misses  Lois  Threadgill  and  Constant  Checkley.  The  teachers  of  the  Colored  Graded  School  are 
as  follows:  Principal,  Prof.  John  W.  Bird,  and  Geo.  H.  Porter,  Nellie  Pitt,  Chanler  Battle,  Olivia  Cobb,  Fannie 
Halliday,  and  Mrs.  Susie  Baskerville. 

The  great  care  that  is  provided  for  Rocky  Mount  school  interests,  and  the  competency  of  the  management,  will 
be  seen  from  the  fact,  that  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools  given  above,  are  the 
presidents  of  three  banks,  two  State  Senators,  the  Chairman  of  the  school  board  of  Nash  county,  wholesale  grocers 
and  others  of  like  standing.  The  able  Superintendent,  Prof.  McWhorter  is  a  native  of  Gatesville  Ala.,  where  Sher- 
man started  on  his  famous  "march  to  the  sea."  Prior  to  coming  here,  Prof.  McWhorter  was  for  eight  years,  princi- 
pal of  the  public  schools  of  Mt.  Olive,  N.  C.  He  received  his  education  at  Peabody  Normal  College  and  Vanderbilt 
University.  The  principal,  Prof.  Highsmith  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  is  thoroughly 
equipped  for  the  high  duties  that  have  fallen  on  him.  The  corps  of  teachers  is  an  admirable  one,  and  they  are  rend- 
ering the  highest  service. 

Rocky  Mount  is  thus  able  to  offer  prospective  residents,educational  advantages  for  their  children  that  should  satisfy 
the  most  particular.  And  no  fear  need  be  entertained  that  as  the  city  grows  larger,  the  school  facilities  will  keep  step; 
for  Rocky  Mount  is  building  for  the  future  as  well  as  the  present. 

The  Twin  Counties. 

Rocky  Mount  is  not  a  county  seat,  but  it  is  the  metropolis  of  two  counties.  Half  in  Nash  county  an  half  in  Edge- 
combe county,  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad  being  the  dividing  line  between  the  counties,  Rocky  Mount  occupies 
a  commanding  position  in  both,  by  reason  of  wealth,  intelligence,  and  population.  The  two  counties  referred  to  are 
rich  in  historical  fame,  as  well  as  in  their  soil  and  the  diversity  of  their  industries.  They  have  produced  some  of  the 
ablest  and  noblest  sons  of  North  Carolina,  men  who  have  made  and  written  the  state's  history  in  War  and  Peace. 
And  the  sons  of  Nash  and  Edgecombe  today  are  taking  a  large  part  in  the  political  and  industrial,  as  well  as  the  moral 
and  social  development  of  the  commonwealth.  The  weight  of  these  twin-counties  is  always  felt  in  legislation,  and 
the  voice  of  their  people  carries  a  potent  influence  in  the  councils  of  the  political  parties  and  the  state. 

Tarboro  is  the  county  seat  of  Edgecombe,  and  Nashville  the  county  seat  of  Nash. 

16 


Episcopal  Church 


Methodist  Protestant  Church 


Parks. 

Rockv  Mount  is  fully  resolved  that  the  future  shall  see  large  and  beautiful  playgrounds  for  the  rest  and  recreation 
of  her  citizens  during  their  spare  hours.  Oakland  Park  on  Tarboro  Street,  covering  almost  a  whole  block  has  been 
established  for  years  Here,  during  the  summer,  the  city  is  treated  to  vaudeville  and  comedy  performances  of  a  high 
order     The  park  also  has  an  excellent  dancing  pavillion,  and  a  good  orchestra  is  employed  during  the  whole  season. 

A  new  and  extensive  playground,  that  will  be  without  a  superior  in  the  country  is  one  of  the  things  that  will  be 
brought  to  pass  during  the  near  future.     This  will  be  located  on  the  picturesque  River  Tar  which   winds    about    the 

city  on  three  sides. 

Baseball. 

Dunn*  the  past  few  years,  Rocky  Mount  has  had  professional  baseball  of  Class  D,  the  city  being  a  member  of 
the  Eastern  Carolina  Baseball  League,  which  includes  the  cities  of  Raleigh,  Wilmington,  Goldsboro  Wilson,  Fay- 
etteville  and  Rocky  Mount.  In  1910,  Rocky  Mount  won  the  second  series  of  the  season,  Fayetteville  winning  the 
first.     The  local  baseball  park  is  one  of  the  best  in  Eastern  Carolina. 

The  Rocky  Mount  Bar. 

The  Rocky  Mount  Bar  is  an  unusually  strong  one,  the  dean  being  Ex-Judge  Jacob  Battle  of  the  family    of  that 
name  long  distinguished  in  North  Carolina  history.     Other  members  are  Hon.  Frank  S.  Spruill,  Hon.  L.  V.  Bassett 
Hon   T   T  Thorne,  Hon.  W.  L.  Thorpe,  and  Messrs.  J.  P.  Bunn,  E.  B.  Grantham,    Frank   A.    Hampton,   Richard 
Fountain,  Joseph  B.  Ramsey,  James  W.  Keel,  and  Victor  Barnhill. 

A  Great  Railroad  Centre. 

Among  the  railroad  centres  of  North  Carolina,  Rocky  Mount  ranks  first.  38  passenger  trains  and  60  freight- 
trains  enter  and  leave  the  city  every  day.  The  number  of  freight  cars  handled  to  and  from  Rocky  Mount  reaches 
2,000  per  day.     The  engines  and  crews  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Trains  are  made  up  and  changed  here,   ana  the 

18 


VIEWS  AT  SOUTH  ROCKY  MOUNT 
Showing  Two  of  The  Many  Buildings  of  The  Coast  Line  at  That  Point 

cars  coming  from  different  points  are  classified  here  and  put  in  solid  trains  and  sent  on  to  their  various  destinations. 
Here  also,  at  South  Rocky  Mount,  are  located,  the  great  repair  shops  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  System,  and  the  second 
largest  yards  in  the  United  States. 

19 


The  approximate  number  of  employees  of  this  railroad  system  at  Rocky  Mount  is  as  follows- 
men   Yard  Clefks  ^Tothers d'  in  Tran^ortation  Department'  including  Yard   Masters'    Yard   Conductors,  Switch- 
Number  of  employees  in'offices  at  Rocky  Mount    -        -        -                -"■-"."_""  2il 
Number  of  employees  in  shops        ---------____  r  wj 

Q  ,  ,^hen  jt  ?s  considered  that  a  large  proportion  of  these  1591  employees  are  high-salaried3  officers  and  employees' 
and  the  remainder  skilled  workmen  drawing  high  wages,  it  can  readily  be  imagined  what' a  large  pay  roll  is  here  dS 
tnbuted  by  this  railroad  system.     It  amounts  to  approximately  $1,000,000.00  per  year.     Her fare  the  general  offices 

S  inenntenddiV,tS10fn'Teaded  5yt-Mr    W,     ?"  uNTeli'  General  Superintendent,  the   office  of  Mr.    W*  B Darrow 
Superintendent  of  Transportation     and   of  the  division  counsel  and  special  attorneys.     Here  also  are  the  offices  or 
the  Supt.  of  Motive  Power,  Road  Foreman  of  Engines  and  General  Car  Inspector. 

The  New  Passenger  Station. 

,p  The  railroad  company  has  here  its  own  electric  lighting  systems.  The  station  is  now  one  of  the  prettiest  on  the 
line,  and  the  contract  has  just  been  let  for  a  great  enlargement  and   remodelling  of  the  same 

I  he  plans  included  in  the  contract,  provide  that  the  present  passenger  station  shall  be  made  two  stories  over  its 

3  H  «Unh?5wnndt  WmKgS  I*/6"™8  3b0Ut  fif^y  f6et  further  West  be  added  t0  each  end  of  the  bu?lding  an3  'hese 
will  also  be  two  stones  in  height      The  present  baggage  room  will  be  thrown  into  the   waiting  room    and    the    new 

baggage  room  will  be  located  in  the  North  wing.     The  present  mail  and  express  rooms  will  be  thrown  into  the   oS 
waiting  room  and  the  mail  and  express  rooms  placed  in  the  South  wing.  The  offices  of  the  General   Superintendent 
Superintendent  of  Transportation,  Engineer  of  Roadway,  Supervisor  of  Buildings,  Roadmasters  and    S [Attor- 
neys wil  be  on   he  second  floor   in  addition  to  the  offices  of  the  Superintendent   Train  Master  and  Dispatchers  of  the 
Fayetteville  District,  which  are  already  located  there.  uispaiuiers  or  tne 

This  remodeled  building  will  be  equipped  with  entirely  new  modern  plumbing  and  steam-heating  facilities  The 
fc'£t3:  ^brella  shed  of abont  500  feet  in  length,  and  other  minor  improvements  too  numerous  to  mention 
When  this  is  completed,  Rocky  Mount's  passenger  station  will  have  no  superior  in  the  state. 

20 


*T$W'# 


Bridge  Over  Falls -At  Close  R 


ange 


A.   C.  L.  Relief  Department  Hospital. 


Bridge  Over  Falls— From  A  Distance 


21 


nurses  and  is  under  the  direct  supervision  of  Dr,  G.  G.  Thomas,  Chief  Surgeon  of  the  Relief  Department.  Hie 
hospital  is  only  open  to  members  of  the  Relief  Department  who  are  also  employees  of  the  Rai  road  Company  but 
there  are  few  members  of  the  Relief  Department  who  fail  to  avail  themselves  of  its  privileges  when   necessity  arises. 

The  Railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

About  a  year  ago  the  Railroad  Company  instituted  an  investigation  into  the  working  of  the  Railroad  Branch  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  was  so  pleased  with  the  results  obtained  that  they  appropriated  funds  tor 
the  erection  of  a  modern  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building  in  this  city.  It  Will  be  located  in  the  vicinity  of  the  passenger  station. 
Plans  have  all  been  made,  the  funds  appropriated,  the  contract  awarded  and  the  ground  is  being  broken. 

The  proposed  building  will  be  about  1 10  feet  frontage  and  about  90  feet  depth  in  center  which  will  be  in  the  torrrl 
of  a  "T"  The  basement  will  be  fully  concreted  under  the  whole  building  and  here  will  be  located  eight  or  ten 
modern  shower  baths,  also  other  facilities.  The  basement  will  also  accommodate  bowling  alleys.  The  nrst  floor 
will  have  ample  space  for  a  large  lobby  in  the  center  of  the  building  and  a  restaurant,  if  desired  on  one  end 
and  a  large  reading  room  on  the  other  and  an  auditorium  in  the  rear  of  the  center  to  seat  about  300  people.  1  he  second 
floor  will  consist  of  single  sleeping  rooms  and  toilet  rooms. 

The  entire  building  and  grounds  is  deeded  to  the  Railroad  Branch  of  the  Young  Men  s  Christian  Association  by 
the  Railroad  Company  and  will  be  controlled  exclusively  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Directors.  The  Railroad  Company 
will  also  pay  the  salary  of  the  permanent  Secretary. 

Of  the  amount  necessary  for  construction,  citizens  of  Rocky  Mount  contributed  $5,000.00  and  the  Railroad  Com- 
pany $30,000.00.  _     . 

1  he  r  reight  Depot. 

The  freight  depot  of  the  A.  C.  L.  at  Rocky  Mount,  is  costly  and  capacious,  admirably  constructed  tor  the  hand- 
ling of  the  immense  volume  cf  freight  of  the  lusty  young  metropolis  of  the  east.  , 

Built  but  a  few  years  ago,  with  thought  to  provide  for  the  increase  of  business  for  many  years,  it  is  now  how- 
ever pushed  to  its  capacity,  and  crowded  hourly  with  merchandise  coming  to  Rocky  Mount  from  all  parts  ot  the 
world  and  our  own  goods  going  to  the  uttermost  parts.  The  Railroad  Company  has  realized  that  it  s  hard  to  guage 
the  growth  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  that  only  constant  enlargement  and  construction  can  provide   adequate   facilities  tor 

her  trade. 

22 


Electric  Power  and  Water  Station  —  Outside  View 


Inside  View  Electric  Power  and  Water  Station 


Rocky  Mount  Public  Works, 

As  has  been  said,  Rocky  Mount  owns  its  Water,  sewerage  and  electric  lighting  system  and  works.  And  further, 
its  electric  lighting  plant  alone  shows  a  profit  at  the  end  of  the  year  just  past  of  several  thousand  dollars,  after  deduct- 
ing charges  at  full  rate  for  all  the  current  used  by  the  city.     So,  as  is  the  case  with  other  departments,   Rocky  Mount 

23 


. 


Public  Works  are  conducted  on  sound  business  principles  and  methods.  It  should  be  considered,  too  that  the  profit 
above  referred  to  has  been  made,  while  charging  a  light  rate  much  less  than  that  prevailing  in  other  cities  of  similar 
size  in  tnis  stcitc. 

f„ -,  Tue  e.tctrictlight  pla,nt  and  waterworks  are  located  one  mile  west  of  the  business  section,  on  Tar  River,  which 
furnishes  the  water  supply  of  the  city  The  plants  were  designed  by  a  firm  of  Atlanta  Engineers,  and  the  instaUatio 
of  machinery  and  the  construction  of  buildings,  reservoirs,  foundations  etc.,  was  looked  alter  bv  Mr  AS  Lyon  the 
present  competent  Superintendent  of  Public  Works.  The  electric  light  plant  is  composed  of  two  cross  compound 
^ndensing  four-valve  engines  of  340  H.  P.  each  connected  to  two  200  K.  W.  Fort  Wayne  Alternating  Current Gen- 
erators of  2300  volts.  It  furnishes  current  for  both  street  lighting  and  commercial  purposes.  In  Sept  1909  a  day 
power  circuit  was  started,  which  supplies  a  three-phase  current  for  use  in  driving  motors  in  the  various  industries 
formerly  using .steam  and  gasoline  power  The  rates  for  commercial  and  domestic  purposes  are  each  ten  cents  pg 
W  h'  rtth  £  c'SC°U!l-  dePend«ng.on  vo  ume  used.  The  rates  for  power  of  the  three-phase  circuit  is  five  cents  per  K 
W  H.,  with  the  same  d.scounts  as  in  lighting.  The  engines  are  driven  by  two  Heine  water  tube  boilers  of  ?00  and 
125  H  P.  respectively.  Fhey  furnish  steam  at  150  pounds  atthe  engine  throttle.  These  same  boilers  furnish 
steam  for  dnving  the  three  large  pumps  in  the  water  station.  The  auxiliary  apparatus  in  the  electric  station  consS 
of  one  motor-driven  exciter,  and  one  engine-driven  exciter,  both  of  20  K.  W.  capacity  and  one :Deane  steam  ie Con- 
denser, into  which  the  two  large  engines  exhaust  their  steam.  steam  jet  con 

The  Water  Works. 

The  water  works  plant  is  under  the  same  roof  as  the  Electric  Plant,  and  consists  of  one  large  Laidlaw  Dunn  Gor- 
? hXne  U  lt°TPrni  co"densing)  compound  duplex  pumping  engine,  of  two  and  a  half  millions  capacity  in 
24  hours.  It  has  also  two  Smith-Vale  compound  duplex  pumps  of  750,000  gallons  each  within  24  hours  These  are 
the  pumps  which  force  the  water  to  the  city  for  fire  and  domestic  purposes      The  plant  contains  two  N    Y     Contin- 

hodl5oTo^SLl^t^raPaCty  °f  2'0?0h'000.^1Ions-  There  is  °ne  !arge  reinforced  concrete  reservoir  whSi 
fPl  Lpn'S  If  fiS  i  I  Sl0uge-  lherue  1S  al?°  °"e  large  reinforced  concrete  coagulating  basin  which  is  six 
feet  deep  and  75  feet  in  diameter.  It  is  in  this  basin  that  the  water  from  the  river  is  pumped  with  sufficient  alum 
water  solution  to  settle  out  any  impurities  that  may  be  contained  in  the  raw  water.  The  water  stays  in  S  basm 
from  two  to  three  hours,  and  ,s  pumped  to  and  through  the  two  large  sand  filters  above  mentioned  where  the  re- 
maining impurities  are  caught  and  held.  The  water  goes  from  the  filters  to  the  large  concrete  reservoiV  and  is  ready 


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West  Graded  School  Building 
per  cent  of  the  harmful  bacteria,  which  is   considered   an 


East  Graded  School  Building 

for  use.     The  filters  and  the  coagulating  basin  take  out 
unusually  high  per  cent. 

The  buildings,  reservoirs  and  foundations  were  built  by  D.  J.  Rose  &  Co.,  contractorsof  this  city,  and  the  olans 
and  specifications  were  drawn  by  F.  D.  Milstead  and  J.  N.  Ely,  Engineers,  of  Atlanta.  The  construction  and  instal- 
lation was  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  A.  S.  Lyon,  Supt.  The  approximate  cost  of  the  plant,  including  new  trans- 
mission lines,  and  new  14-inch  water  main  to  standpipe,  was  close  to  $85,000.00 

The  sewerage  system  has  cost  to  the  present  time,  about  $30,800.00.  The  city  has  under  construction  a  new  sew- 
erage disposal  plant  located  near  the  railroad  bridge,  that   when  completed,    will  have  cost  approximately  $6,500.00 

25 


This  plant  will  consist  of  three  concrete  tanks  and  one  chemical  house,  and  is  being  built  under  direction    of  the  N. 
C.  State  Board  of  Health,  in  compliance  with  their  new  regulations. 

The  Superintendent  of  Public  Works  is  Mr.  A.  S.  Lyon,  who  has  efficiently  filled  the  position  for  the  past  seven 
years.  Mr.  Lyon  is  a  native  of  Granville  County,  a  graduate  of  the  North  Carolina  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
College,  class  of  1899  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  On  the  completion  of  a  special  course  in  Electrical  Engineering  at 
this  college,  Mr.  Lyon  took  charge  of  the  Roanoke  Navigation  &  Waterpower  Co.,  where  he  remained  until  1904, 
when  he  came  to  Rocky  Mount.  His  record  as  Superintendent  of  Public  Works  is  a  fine  one,  and  his  services  have 
been  eminently  satisfactory  to  the  city. 

The  Churches. 

Rocky  Mount  is  emphatically  a  church  and  church-going  town,  and  has  some  of  the  most  creditable  church  edi- 
fices in  the  state.  The  church  membership  is  large  in  proportion  to  population,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  members 
are  active  in  church  work  and  worship.  While  the  religious  spirit  is  dominant  in  the  town,  it  is  a  broad  and  liberal 
spirit  with  regard  to  denominationalism.  Almost  all  religious  faiths  are  represented  in  the  city,  and  tolerance  is  (he 
rule,  all  churches  working  in  harmony  and  cooperating  to  as  large  an  extent  as  possible.  The  churches  (white)  in 
Rocky  Mount,  are  as  follows:  Missionary  Baptist  4,  Primitive  Baptist  1,  Methodist  Episcopal  4,  Methodist  Protes- 
tant 1,  Presbyterian  1,  Episcopal  1,  Christian  1,  Catholic  1,  total  14.  There  are  also  a  number  of  Christian  Scientists 
here  though  they  have  no  organized  church.  The  Primitive  Baptists  were  the  first  to  establish  a  church  in  Rocky 
Mount,  away  back  in  the  early  days  of  America.  This  church  was  located  and  is  yet  located  near  the  Falls  of  the 
Tar,  and  for  a  hundred  years  has  been  a  landmark  and  a  place  of  gathering.  The  history  of  this  church  and  the 
history  of  Rocky  Mount  have  been  entwined  through  all  the  years  of  the  town's  existence.  The  new  Methodist 
Church  at  the  corner  of  Church  Street  and  Sunset  Avenue  was  built  five  years  ago,  and  is  a  model  church  boih  arch- 
itecturally and  with  regard  to  convenience.  With  the  parsonage  adjoining,  it  cost  approximately  $25,000.00.  The 
new  Presbyterian  Church  just  completed  is  a  most  handsome  edifice,  costing  $20,000.00.  Thoroughly  modern  and 
convenient  in  its  appointments,  it  has  no  superior  as  a  church  building  in  this  section.  The  ideal  and  handsome 
brick  house  of  the  Episcopal  Church  on  Church  Street  is  well  worthy  of  mention,  and  this  church  includes  in  its 
membership  some  of  the  leading  and  most  progressive  citizens  of  Rocky  Mount.  The  First  Baptist  congregation, 
one  of  the  largest  church  organizations  in  the  city,  are  preparing  to  erect  this  year  a  large  and  costly  brick  building 
on  their  handsome  lot  on  Church  Street,  that  will  be  commensurate  with  the  size  and  wealth  of  this  strong  church. 

26 


First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


Presbyterian  Church  — Rev.  Dr.  W.  D.  Morton,  Pastor 


The  pastors  of  the  various  white  churches  of  the  city,  are  as  follows: 

First  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  I.  M.  Mercer,  D.  D. 

Arlington  Street  Baptist,  Rev.  A.  B.  Harrell. 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Rev.  W.  D.  Morton,  D.  D 

First  Methodist  Church,  Rev,  L.  P.  Howard. 

Episcopal  Church  (Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd)  Rev.  R.  B.  Owens. 

27 


Calvary  Baptist,  Rev.  W.  O.   Biggs. 

N.  Rocky  Mount  Baptist,  Rev.  C.  G.  Lowe. 

Primitive  Baptist,  Elder  P.  D.  Gold. 

Marvin  Methodist,  Rev.  J.  B.  Thompson 

South  Ry.  Mt.  Methodist,        do 

Clarice  St.  Methodist,  do 

Methodist  Protestant,  Pastorate  vacant 

Christian  Church,  Rev.  H.  C.  Boblitt 

Catholic,  Father  C.  B.  Harriman. 
The  colored  church  membership  is  also  very  strong  in  Rocky  Mount,  and  while  the  city  has  its  share  ot  the  dis- 
reputable colored  element  to  be  found  in  all  Southern  cities,  it  is  probable  that  Rocky  Mount  has  more  substantial 
colored  citizens,  who  own  their  own  homes  and  are  succeeding  in  business,  than  any  other  city  of  like  size  in  the 
South.  Though  perhaps  a  little  out  of  connection  just  at  this  point,  it  might  be  mentioned  that  the  negroes  ot  Rocky 
Mount  own  and  operate  a  silk  mill,  said  to  be  the  only  one  owned  and  operated  by  negroes  in  the  state,  and  one  ot 
the  few  in  the  world  so  owned  and  operated. 


The  Rocky  Mount  Road  District. 


Rocky  Mount  is  justly  proud  of  her  good  roads,  especially  within  a  radius  of   five  to   ten   miles  from   the   city 
These  roads,  built  of  sand  and  clay  are  the  envy  of  the  surrounding  towns,  and  maintain  their  excellence  through  all 
sorts  of  weather.  .  ,  „ 

The  first  great  impetus  given  good  roads  building  was  the  passage  of  an  act  through  the  IN.  C.  Legislature  ot 
1907,  after  a  hard  struggle,  creating  the  Rocky  Mount  Road  District.  This  district  embraces  100  square  miles  ot 
territory  with  Rocky  Mount  as  the  centre.  It  is  under  the  supervision  and  control  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Road  Com- 
mission, composed  of  one  member  elected  by  the  county  commissioners  of  Nash  county,  one  member  elected  by  the 
county  commissioners  of  Edgecombe  county,  and  three  members  elected  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  the  city  of 
Rocky  Mount.  The  bill  as  passed  authorized  a  bond  issue  of  $100,000.00  of  40-year  bonds  and  a  special  tax  levy. 
There  was  much  outside  opposition  to  the  bill,  which  was  introduced  in  the  State  Senate  by  Senator  T.  1 .  1  home, 
and  dire  predictions  were  made.  ,  .  ,  , 

It  is  a  fact  however  that  the  working  of  the  system  has   been  ideal.     Old   roads   have  been   straightened,    new 

28 


PHILIPS  BUILDING. 

Owned  by  Mr.  Hyrmn  Phil'ps,  of  Tarboro, 
unt  1  recently  an  attorney  of  Rocky  Mount, 
how  practic  ng  law  with  Solic'tor  Allsbrook  in 
Tarboto.  Ths  build  ng  is  one  of  the  best  of- 
fice build.ngs  in  the  city. 


29 


roads  have  been  built,  and  travelling  and  hauling  made  easy  and  profitable  instead  of  the  struggle  that  they  used  to 
be.  The  benefits  that  have  accrued  to  the  town  and  district  are  inestimable,  and  further  work  is  being  pushed  The 
taxation  has  scarcely  been  felt,  and  the  increase  of  land  value  has  overpaid  the  cost  many  times  All  the  offenders 
sent  to  the  roads  from  the  Recorder's  Court  of  the  city  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  all  the  offenders  whose  crimes  were 
committed  in  this  district  and  who  are  convicted  in  the  two  county  Recorder's  Courts  of  Nash  and  Edgecombe  are 
sent  to  The  Rocky  Mount  Road  District  Road  Force  to  work  out  their  sentences. 
The  present  members  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Road  Commission  are: 

W.  E.  Jeffries, 

W.  S.  Wilkinson, 

W.  H.  Home, 

E.  L.  Daughtridge, 

E.  W.  Shearin. 


The  Fire  Company. 


Rocky  Mount's  fire  company  is  well-manned,  well-equipped  and  is  kept  at  a  high  order  of  efficiency  It  includes 
64  men. 

The  Chief  is  Dr.  J.  J.  Battle  and  the  Asst.  Chief,  Mr.  D.  D.  Daughtridge. 

The  city  division  has  as  equipment,  two  Horse-Hose- Wagons,  a  Number  Four  Steamer,  and  is  manned  by  28 

me£    w  ■  W:  R,a^ls.,i?  Foreman-  w-  s-  Moye  1st  Asst'  Foreman,  and  W.  Soden  Jr.,  2nd  Asst.  Foreman.  Quarters 
in  the  Municipal  Building. 

The  Hook  &  Ladder  division  (Colored)  is  composed  of  Mclntyre,  Foreman,  and  sixteen  men,  with  hook  and 
ladder  truck.     Their  quarters  are  on  Thomas  Street. 

The  Gibson  Hill  Division  has  ten  men,  one  hose  truck  and  has  quarters  on  Bassett  Street.  Luther  Dausrhtridee 
is  Foreman  s         6 

The  North  Rocky  Mount  division  has  a  hose-truck  with  quarters  on  the  Falls  Road.  This  division  has  ten  men 
with  Foreman  Bass. 

Besides  these  fire  departments  maintained  by  the  city,  The  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad  Company  keeps  a  hose 
department  of  its  own  near  the  shops  at  South  Rocky  Mount. 

It  would  be  a' long  story  to  undertake  to  tell  of  the  numerous  acts  of  daring  and  heroism  that  must  be  credited  to 

30 


the  Rocky  Mount  Firemen.     It  suffices  to  say,  that  a  braver  and  more  loyal    company  exists  nowhere,   and  that 
each  individual  has  proven  his  willingness  to  imperil  his  life  if  necessary  in  defense  of    Rocky    Mount    against  the 
ravages  of  the  flames.     These  men  occupy  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  of  the  city. 
It  should  be  added  that  on  two  occasions  the  local  department  has  won  honors  in  state  contests. 

Rocky  Mount  Military  Company. 

Having  produced  men  whose  bravery  and  war-like  spirit  won  for  them  high  military  honors,  and  the  meed  of 
Immortality  in  the  Revolution,  and  later  in  the  great  struggle  of  the  War  Between  The  States,  it  was  inevitable  that 
Rocky  Mount  should  have  even  in  these  peaceful  times,  a  military  organization. 

Rocky  Mount's  military  company,  which  is  Company  "C"  of  the  Second  Regiment  N.  C.  National  (_»uard,  is 
only  about  three  years  old,  and  has  already  won  honors  at  the  two  State  Encampments  the  company  has  attended 

They  have  an  armory,  club  room  and  quarters  on  the  Second  Floor  of  the  Rose  Building  on  Main  Street.  The 
company  has  47  members,  and  the  officers  are  as  follows: 

Captain,  J.  S.  Lewis, 
First  Lieutenant,  H.  L.  Daughtry, 
Second  Lieutenant,  A.  E.  Dixon. 


31 


The  Rocky  Mount  Mills. 


Ranking  next  to  the  railroad  company  as  employers  of  labor  and  in  respect  to  size  and  prominence  are  The 
Rocky  Mount  Mills  situated  at  The  Falls  of  The  Tar.  ' 

These  mills  are  three  in  number  but  are  so  joined  together  as  to  constitute  one  great  industrial  giant  They  are 
the  support  of  a  large  mill  town,  now  an  integral  part  of  the  city,  and  contain  30,099  spindles,  manufacturing  cotton 
ysirns. 

These  mills/aside  from  their  overshadowing   importance   as  the  city's   largest   manufacturing  industry,    are   a 

32 


source  of  pride  to  all  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  from  an  historical  standpoint.  First  built  in  1818,  burned  down  in 
1863  by  the  Federal  forces,  rebuilt,  and  burned  down  a  second  time  in  1871,  then  immediately  rebuilt,  neither  the 
exigencies  of  war  nor  the  financial  pitfalls  of  peace  have  been  able  to  engulf  them.  Sentiment  is  mingled  with  in- 
terest therefore,  in  the  regard  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  have  for  the  Rocky  Mount  Mills. 

The  secret  of  the  mills'  success  and  longevity  can  be  found  in  the  uniformly  competent  management  since  their 
foundation. 

The  Mills  were  launched  in  1818  by  three  men,  Messrs.  Joel  Battle,  Evans  and  Donnelson,  with  Joel  Battle  as 
Manager.  And  since  the  beginning,  for  nearly  a  hundred  years,  a  Battle  has  been  manager.  93  years  in  one  family, 
it  is  perhaps  safe  to  say,  is  a  record  that  is  equalled  by  few  other  businesses  of  like  proportions  in  the  United 
States.  Slave  labor  was  used  in  the  mills  exclusively  until  the  year  1855,  when  white  labor  was  substituted.  The 
present  Treasurer  and  Manager  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills  is  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Battle,  a  great-grandson  of  Joel  Bat- 
tle, the  founder  of  the  business  and  its  first  manager. 

It  would  not  be  amiss  to  give  in  this  connection,  a  few  particulars  about  the  House  of  Battle,  which 
for  more  than  a  century  has  been  distinguished  in  North  Carolina  history.  The  Edgecombe  branch  of  the 
family  was  founded  in  1742  by  Elisha  Battle  (grandfather  of  Joel  Battle  above  mentioned  and  great-great- 
great-grandfather  of  Thomas  H.  Battle)  who  came  to  North  Carolina  from  Virginia,  and  settled  on  the 
banks  of  Tar  River.  Elisha  Battle  was  a  Senator  from  Edgecombe  in  the  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina  for 
ten  years,  and  was  President  of  the  North  Carolina  Convention  which  finally  ratified  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  North  Carolina  and  Rhode  Island  holding  out  and  refusing  to  ratify  until  certain  amendments  vital  to  the 
liberties  of  the  people  had  been  adopted.  Elisha  Battle  was  a  great  Primitive  Baptist  and  one  of  the  founders  in  this 
section,  (where  it  even  now  has  so  large  an  influence)  of  the  church  of  that  denomination,  so  justly  famed  for  probity 
and  the  practice  of  real  Christianity.  Elisha  Battle's  grandson,  Joel  Battle,  was  the  founder  of  the  Rocky  Mount 
Mills  as  stated  in  the  foregoing.  Joel  Battle's  son,  Hon.  William  H.  Battle,  was  for  eight  years  on  the  Superior 
Court  Bench  of  North  Carolina,  and  for  fifteen  years  a  Justice  of  the  North  Carolina  Supreme  Court,  being  regarded 
as  one  of  the  ablest  judges  who  ever  sat  upon  that  court,  which  has  been  graced  by  many  of  the  ablest  jurists  known 
to  American  Jurisprudence.  Dr.  Kemp  P.  Battle,  son  of  Judge  William  H.  Battle,  and  father  of  Mr.  Thomas  H. 
Battle,  is  a  man  loved  and  honored  by  all  North  Carolinians.  Serving  for  16  years  with  conspicuous  ability  and  use- 
fulness, as  President  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill,  earlier  as  State  Treasurer,  and  later  as  Pro- 
fessor of  History  at  the  University,  he  is  now  in  retirement,  full  of  years  and  full  of  honors,  and  is  the  recipient  of 
an  income  under  the  Carnegie  Education  Endowment  Fund  given  for  conspicuous  educational  services. 

33 


It  is  sufficient  to  say  of  Mr.  Thomas  H,  Battle,  that  he  is  in  all  respects  worthy  of  his  ancestry.  Since  his  early 
manhood,  he  has  been  one  of  the  most  potent  forces  for  progress  and  good  in  the  building  of  Rocky  Mount  and  this 
section.  He  was  for  ten  years  Mayor  of  Rocky  Mount,  his  administration  of  the  city  government  being  a  model  of 
economy,  progressiveness  and  general  excellence.  He  was  Alderman  for  fifteen  years  and  Chairman  of  the  Finance 
Committee  for  ten  years,  resigning  from  the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  July  1910.  He  is  now  and  has  been  since  1886, 
Chairman  of  the  School  Board  of  the  city.  Besides  being  Treasurer  and  Manager  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills,  Mr. 
Battle  is  at  present,  President  of  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  the  oldest  financial  institution  in  the  city,  President  of 
The  Rocky  Mount  Saving  &  Trust  Co.,  President  of  Rocky  Mount  Homestead  &  Loan  Association,  the  oldest  institu- 
tion of  its  kind  in  the  city,  and  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Co.,  and  is  largely  interested  in  other  things 
that  mean  much  to  the  city. 

The  President  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills,  Hon.  R.  H.  Ricks,  who  is  the  subject  of  a  sketch  elsewhere  in  this 
book,  is  probably  the  wealthiest  man  in  this  section,  and  his  touch  has  seemed  to  spell  success  to  every  enterprise 
with  which  he  has  ever  been  connected. 

The  full  list  of  officers  and  directors  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills  is  as  follows: 

President,  R.  H.  Ricks. 

Sec.  &  Treas.  and  Manager,  Thomas  H.  Battle. 

Superintendent,  H.  L.  Holden. 

Directors: 

A.  J.  Ruffin 
R.  B.  Peebles 

B.  Cameron 
W.  K.  Carr 
A.  P.  Thorpe 
J.  D.  Dawes 
R.  H.   Ricks 
T.  H.  Battle. 


34 


MR.  F.  P.  SPRUILL,  Cashi, 


The  Rocky  Mount  Savings  &  Trust  Co. 

An  institution  that  has  wielded  a  big  power  for  good,  in  that  it  has  helped  the  citizens  to  cultivate  habits 
of  saving  and  thrift,  is  The  Rocky  Mount  Savings  &  Trust  Co. 

This  institution  which  has  earned  from  the  people  the  familiar  name  of  "The  Savings  Bank",  was  launched  on 
the  business  sea,  Nov.  2,  1903,  with  the  following  officers:     President,  Thomas  H.  Battle  (also  Pres.    The   Bank   of 

35 


Rocky  Mount.)  Vice-President,  J.  C.  Braswell  (also  President  The  Planters  Bank.)  Cashier,  Frank  P.  Spruill. 
The  capital  was  $10,000.00.  From  the  initial  day,  this  bank  has  prospered  and  has  done  a  great  work  in  the  com- 
munity. The  same  President,  Vice-President  and  Cashier  have  guided  its  fortunes  to  this  day,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  institution  in  Rocky  Mount  has  been  better  managed  or  more  successful. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  year  in  business,  the  deposits  were  $76,302.65.  They  have  grown  steadily  each  year  ex- 
cept the  year  of  the  famous  1907-8  panic,  and  the  decrease  that  year  was  very  small  as  compared  with  that  of  other 
financial  concerns.     The  following  table  shows  the  deposits  at  the  end  of  each  business  year  since  the  beginning; 

Nov.  2,   1904    -    -    -    -    $76,302.65 

Nov.  2,   1905    -    -    -    -     127,542.67 

Nov.  2,   1906    -    -    -    -     164,332.21 

Nov.  2,   1907    -    -    -    -     179,940.11 

Nov.  2,   1908    -    -    -    -     168,257.64 

Nov.  2,   1909    -    -    -    -    207,394.63 

Nov.  2,  1910  -  -  "-'  -  231,119.32 
Mr.  Frank  P.  Spruill,  the  Cashier  of  this  bank  since  its  organization,  is  not  only  a  capable  and  faithful  bank  offi- 
cial, but  a  useful  and  popular  citizen.  His  career  is  one  of  the  best  illustrations  of  the  fact  that  industry,  honesty 
and  ability  are  bound  to  succeed  even  under  adverse  circumstances.  Mr.  Spruill  was  born  in  Halifax  County,  N. 
C.  Oct.  17,  1881.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  Aug.  15,  1898,  as  office  boy  for  the  American  Tobacco  Company.  In 
the  summer  of  1899,  he  drove  an  ice  wagon  for  the  local  ice  company.  In  the  fall  of  1899  he  went  back  to  the  Amer- 
ican Tobacco  Company  as  Asst.  Factory  Manager.  In  the  summer  of  1900,  he  was  soda  fountain  boy  at  Griffin's 
Drug  Store.  In  the  fall  of  1900,  he  accepted  a  position  as  Asst.  Factory  Manager  for  Thorpe  &  Ricks',  leaf  tobacco 
dealers.  In  1901,  through  the  kindness  and  advice  of  Mr.  A.  P.  Thorpe,  he  was  enabled  to  go  to  Poughkeepsie,N. 
Y.  to  attend  the  Eastman  Business  College.  Returning  in  the  fall  of  1901,  he  again  accepted  a  position  with  Thorpe 
&  Ricks,  which  he  held  until  the  organization  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Savings  &  Trust  Co.,  when  he  was  elected  Cash- 
ierof  this  institution.  Feb.  22,  1908.  Mr.  Spruill  was  married  to  Mrs.  A.  M.  Shaw,  who  was  formerly  Miss  Fannie 
Philips. 

The  officers  and  directors  of  this  bank  are  now  as  follows: 

President,  Thomas  H.  Battle;  Vice-President,  James C.  Braswell;  Cashier,   Frank  P.  Spruill. 
Directors,  Thomas  H.  Battle,  J.  C.  Braswell,  J.  W.  Aycock,  A.  P.  Thorpe,  Geo.  S.  Edwards,  S.  L.  Arrington, 
M.  C.  Braswell,  R.  H.  Ricks,  H.  B.  Marriott,  J.  R.  Bennett. 

36 


L.  F.  TILLERY  &  SON, 

INSURANCE,  REAL  ESTATE,  LOANS  AND  RENTS 
PHILIPS  BUILDING,  MAIN  STREET, 

ROCKY  MOUNT,  N.  C 


The  firm  of  L.  F.  Tillery  &  Son  is  comparatively  a  new  one,  having  begun  business  Jan.  1,  1911;  but  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  is  so  well  and  favorably  known  to  Rocky  Mount  and  all  this  section  (having  been  Cashier  of  The 
Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  for  23  years)  that  they  really  need  no  introduction  to  the  people. 

Mr.  Luther  Fentriss  Tillery  came  to  Rocky  Mount  as  a  child  in  1867,  when  what  is  now  the  metropolis  of  Eastern 
Carolina  was  only  a  small  hamlet.  Since  his  young  manhood,  he  has  been  identified  with  things  that  have  contribut- 
ed largely  to  the  building  of  the  city,  and  toward  the  best  results  from  a  moral  standpoint.  In  his  youth,  Mr.  Tillery 
was  in  the  railroad  and  telegraph  service,  and  was  for  three  years  manager  of  the  Newbern  office  of  the  Western  Un- 
ionTelegraph  Co.  In  1889,  with  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Battle  and  Mr.  S.  E.  Westray,  as  associates,  he  took  part  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  the  first  bank  organized  in  Rocky  Mount,  and  was  elected  Cashier.  For  twenty-three 
years,  until  Jan.  1,  191 1,  when  he  resigned  to  establish  his  present  business,  he  served  as  Cashier  of  that  institution,  and  it 
is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  as  for  efficiency,  courtesy,  integrity  and  popularity,  no  bank  in  North  Carolina  was  bet- 
ter served.  Mr.  Tillery  won  not  only  the  confidence  of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him,  but  inspired  in  all  a  gen- 
uine liking.  All  these  things  being  true,  it  is  inevitable  that  his  present  business  must  be  a  large  success.  Mr.  Tillery 
was  married  Feb.  9,  1887,  to  Miss  Vyne,  of  Michigan,  who  is  and  has  been  since  her  first  residence  here,  a  social 
favorite.  They  have  two  children  living.  Miss  Annie  Vyne  Tillery,  and  Mr.  Luther  Jarvis  Tillery,  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  L.  F.  Tillery  &  Son.  Mr.  L.  F.  Tilery's  father,  Dr.  R.  C.  Tillery,  was  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  respected  citizens  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  was  for  two  or  three  terms  Mayor  of  the  city  in  its  earlier  days.  Dr. 
Tillery  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  being  Captain  in  the  Artillery  Service  of  the  Confederacy.and  was  at  onetime, 
Provost  Marshal  of  the  city  of  Wilmington.     He  came  to  Rocky    Mount  originally  from  Halifax  County,  N.  C. 

The  junior  member  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Luther  Jarvis   Tillery   is   now  only  19  years  old,  but  shows   fine   business 

37 


capacity,  and  the  future  holds  much  promise  for  him.  He  was  educated  in  the 
Graded  Schools  of  Rocky  Mount,  in  the  Warrenton  High  School  (N.  C.,)  at 
Culver,  Ind.,  and  in  the  U.  S.  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis. 

Messrs.  L.  F.  Tillery  &  Son,  write  all  forms  of  insurance,  collect  rents, 
buy  and  sell  real  estate,  handling  same  on  commission,  and  negotiate  loans. 

They  represent  the  following  standard  and  reliable  insurance  companies, 
among  the  best  doing  business   in   this  country: 

The  Prudential  Life,  The  New  York  Underwriters,  the  New  Hampshire, 
The   Fidelity   Phoenix,   The   Underwriters  of  Rocky  Mount,   and  The  Queen. 

Anybody  doing  business  with  this  firm  may  be  assured  in  advance  that 
their  matters  will  be  handled  with  the  utmost  of  care,  efficiency,  fidelity  and 
dispatch. 


^ 


MR.  L.  F.  TILLERY,  Senior  Membei  of  the  Firm. 


38 


MR.  W.  E.  JEFFREYS. 


Chairman  of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of 

Nash 


MR 


E.  JEFFREYS. 


Any  work  on  Rocky  Mount  or  Nash  County  that  purposed  to  tell  of  their  pro- 
gress and  improvement  during  the  past  twenty  years  would  be  incomplete  if  it  did 
not  include  a  story  of  the  life  and  public  service  of  Mr.  W.  E.  Jeffreys;  for  in  al- 
most every  movement  and  undertaking  looking  to  the  building  up  and  progress  of 
Rocky  Mount,  and  Nash  County  especially,  his  energy  and  ability  have 
been  among  the  most  important  and  potent  factors.  Since  1898,  Mr.  Jeff- 
reys has  been  a  member  and  Chairman  of  the  Nash  County  Board  of  Com- 
missioners. This  position  is  considered  by  far  the  most  important  official  station  in  the  County  government,  corres- 
ponding as  it  does  to  the  speakership  and  leadership  of  the  legislature  of  a  State,  the  Board  of  Commissioners  con- 
stituting the  county's  legislative  body. 

The  record  of  Mr.  Jeffreys'  administration  of  county  affairs  is  a  story  that  is  a  source  of  pride  to  every  loyal 
Nash  County  citizen.  It  is  certain  that  there  is  no  county  in  North  Carolina  whose  affairs  are  administered  in  a 
wiser,  more  economical  or  more  business  like  manner  than  are  the  affairs  of  Nash  County  under  the  present  Board 
of  County  Commissioners.  Every  transaction  by  the  county  is  inspected  just  as  closely  and  is  made  just  as  carefully 
and  economically  as  Mr.  Jeffreys  would  transact  a  private  matter  that  concerned  only  himself.  For  instance  when 
the  new  Grand  Jury  Building  was  erected  a  few  years  ago  at  a  cost  of  approximately  $3,000,  Mr.  Jeffreys  saw  to  it 
that  the  plans  and  arrangements  were  so  made  as  to  furnish    the   county   law   offices  to  rent,  which  are  at  this   time 

39 


bringing  in  an  annual  revenue  that  amounts  to  11  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  construction  of  the  whole  building, 

In  1898,  when  Mr.  Jeffreys  was  first  elected  County  Commissioner,  the  county  owed  eight  thousand  dollars 
($8,000.)  Since  that  time,  that  debt  has  been  liquidated  in  full;  the  Grand  Jury  Building,  a  two  story  brick  structure, 
has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $3,000;  approximately  twelve  thousand  dollars  ($12,000)  has  been  spent  in  repairs,  ad- 
ditions and  improvements  on  the  Court  House;  exceeding  $10,000  has  been  spent  in  protecting  the  citizens  of  the 
county  from  the  dread  ravages  of  smallpox  which  gained  a  strong  foothold  in  the  county  on  the  return  of  the  soldiers 
from  the  Spanish-American  War;  seven  magnificient  iron  and  steel  bridges  have  been  built  over  Tar  River  and  one 
over  Swift  Creek  near  Gold  Rock,  besides  a  large  number  of  substantial  wooden  bridges  over  smaller  streams  in  the 
county;  the  County  Home  property  has  been  converted  into  one  of  the  finest  agricultural  and  farming  properties  in 
this  section,  new  houses  being  built,  the  land  improved,  the  best  teams  and  farming  utensils  provided  that  could  be 
obtained;  and  in  every  particular  the  progress  and  improvement  in  county  affairs  have  been  most  gratifying.  The 
last  annual  statement  showed  two  hundred  and  twenty  one  substantial  bridges,  including  ten  of  iron  and  steel. 

All  this  has  been  done  with  the  utmost  economy,  but  with  an  eye  to  permanency  and  without  burden  to  the  tax- 

payers;  and  it  is  but  simple  justice  to  say  that  the   strong  hand  of   Mr, 

Jeffreys  has  been  the  guide  and  has  furnished  much  of  the  strength. 
The  county  does  not  owe  a  cent  now,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  loan 
of  $500,  which  the  Treasurer  can  pay  at  any  time  without  the  slightest 
inconvenience. 

It  should  be  said  too,  that  this  fine  and  enduring  service  has  been 
rendered  the  county  by  Mr.  Jeffreys  at  much  personal  sacrifice.  He  is 
a  man  of  large  private  interests.  His  idea  of  public  service  is  such,  that 
if  ever  they  come  in  conflict,  his  private  interests  must  give  place  to  the 
interests  of  the  county.  It  is  natural  therefore  that  he  should  be  held, 
as  he  is  held,  in  universal  respect  and  esteem  by  his  fellow  countymen. 
His  popularity  was  conclusively  proven  at  the  last  election  when  he 
was  re-elected  by  the  most  overwhelming  majority  of  his  political  career. 
Mr.  Jeffreys  is  a  native  of  Granville  County,  North  Carolina,  born 
September  22nd,  1859;  and  is  therefore  fifty  one  years  old,  in  the  prime 
of  vigorous  and  mature  manhood.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
He  lived  in  Henderson,  N.    C,  for    four    years   and 


COUNTRY  HQME  OF  MR.  W.  E.  JEFFREYS. 

Granville  and  plunged  right  into  business  in  his  early  youth 


40 


was  One  of  the  most  influential  forces  in  the  founding  of  the  tobacco  business  in  that  town.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount 
in  I8:»2  and  launched  the  Jeffreys'  Tobacco  Warehouse.  His  success  in  the  tobacco  business  is  a  mattter  of  com- 
mon knowledge,  and  it  is  said  by  those  who  ought  to  know,  that  a  better  judge  of  tobacco  never  operated  on  the  local 
market.  In  1895,  in  obedience  to  his  natural  taste  and  inclination,  he  bought  the  large  and  valuable  plantation  near 
Rocky  Mount,  known  as  the  Thorpe  place,  and  became  a  planter.  He  subsequently  purchased  other  adjoining  tracts 
until  his  land  holdings  in  Nash  County  now  amount  to,  approximately,  one  thousand  acres  of  the  best  and  most  favo- 
rably situated  land  in  the  county.  He  conducts  one  of  the  largest  and  best  dairies  in  eastern  Carolina.  Owning  only 
the  purest  and  most  aristocratic  of  the  Bovine  breeds,  his  dairy  products  are  the  last  word  in  quality;  and  the  famous 
"Jeffreys  Butter"  is  one  thing  that  is  sought  after  by  every  discriminating  house-keeper  in  this  city. 

Mr.  Jeffreys  is  also  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Jeffreys-Ricks  Clay  Works,  a  concern  that  manufactures  a  famous 
brick  especially  adapted  for  building  and  paving  purposes,  which  is  sold  over  North  Carolina  and  adjoining  states. 
Other  things,  in  addition,  that  contribute  to  the  material  and  moral  progress  of  the  city  and  county  have  found  in 
Mr.  Jeffreys  a  liberal  patron  and  friend. 

Mr  Jeffreys'  home  life  and  his  family  are  ideal,  and  no  doubt  account  for  much  of  the  strength  and  integrity 
that  have  been  so  conspicuous  in  his  record  in  public  office.  He  was  married  !n  1891  to  Miss  Dena  Lyon,  and  their 
union  has  proven  a  most  happy  and  congenial  one.  They  have  five  children,  varying  in  age  from  six  to  eighteen, 
all  bright  and  spirited,  showing  the  refinement  and  gentleness  that  must  ever  result  from  good  lineage  and  proper 
training 

Mr.  Jeffreys  takes  an  active  interest  in  Church  work,  and  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Rocky  Mount. 


41 


W.  L.GRO0M,  Prest  &  Ge«»'l  Moo 


W  T.  KEETON.Vice  Pbest 


HOWARD  E   BAKER. Tne<*s 


11.  ANDERSON,  SectV. 


TarKiverfiu 


WE  USE   LUMBERMANS   TELECODE 


WE  FURNISH  ON  SHORT  NOTICE  STAIR  TRIM.  PORCH   TRIM 

WINDOW  FRAMES.  DOOR  FRAMES.  SCREEN   DOORS.  AND 

SCREEN    WINDOWS.  AND    MANTELS 


,nUFActURfb 
(HA"        of        tfs 

KILN    DRIED    FLOORING, 

CEILING,  SIDING  AND  MOULDINGS. 

MOULDED    BASE  AND    CASINGS 


WHOLESALE  AND  RETAIL  DEALERS  IN 

kiln  DRfED  NORTH  CAROLINA  PINZPOPLARfOAK. 

DIRECT  PROM  STUMP  TO  THE  MARKET. 


^ocKy  Mount,  N.C, 


THIS  CUT  SHOWS  THE  MANY  BUILDINGS  OF  THE  TAR  RIVER  LUMBER  COMPANY. 


TAR  RIVER  LUMBER  CO. 

ROCKY  MOUNT'S  MAMMOTH  LUMBER   PLANT. 


Among  the  industries  that  have  contributed  to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  Rocky  Mount  and  this  Section, 
the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company  is  easily  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  potent.  This  company's  plant  is  at  present 
one  of  the  most  complete  and  modernly  equipped  lumber  plants  in  the  South.  It  has  a  capacity  of  40,000  feet  in  ten 
hours,  and  by  reason  of  the  perfect  arrangement  of  the  buildings  and  machinery,  together  with  a  management  that 
for  excellence  of  system  and  entire  efficiency  is  scarcely  equalled  in  the  country,  the  plant  is  able   to   convert  timber 


42 


into  finished  lumber  at  a  minimum  cost  that  absolutely  guarantees  its  ready  sale  on  the  market  at  profitable  prices. 

The  present  plant  of  the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company  is  located  just  on  the  out-skirts  of  Rocky  Mount,  on  the 
Nashville  branch  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad.  It  consists  of  the  latest  improved  band  saw  mill,  the  building 
being  36X132  feet;  a  planing  mill  72X132  feet,  which  includes  a  band  resaw  with  a  capacity  of  50, 000  feet  per  day  for 
turning  out  flooring,  ceiling,  weather  boarding  and  finished  lumber  of  all  kinds;  a  trim  mill  48X144  feet,  in  which  is 
made  inside  and  outside  finish  of  high  grade;  brick  dry  kilns  fire  proof,  and  two  modern  power  plants  of  500  horse 
power.  The  company  has  a  railroad  running  from  this  mill  in  a  northwesterly  direction  through  Nash  county,  which 
penetrates  their  timber  properties  and  hauls  the  logs  to  the  mill.  As  a  matter  of  accommodation  to  the  people  who  live 
along  the  line,  this  railroad,  while  not  a  common  carrier,  has  been  hauling  several  thousand  tons  of  fertilizer  annually. 
It  is  the  purpose  of  Mr.  Groom,  the  President  and  General  Manager  of  the  company,  (and  whatever  he  purposes  to 
do  is  pretty  sure  to  be  done)  within  the  near  future  to  convert  this  private  railroad  into  a  common  carrier  that  will 
carry  both  freight  and  passengers.  The  benefits  that  will  accrue  to  the  people  of  that  section  of  Nash  county  traversed 
by  this  railroad  will  be  incalculable.  The  railroad  will  have  one  of  the  towns  in  the  northwestern  section  of  Nash 
county  as  its  objective  point,  and  may  be  extended  further  to  a  connecting  line. 

The  Tar  River  Lumber  Company  is  perhaps  the  only  lumber  plant  in  the  South  that  cuts  the  log  from  the  stump 
and  handles  it  in  its  entirety  through  the  different  processes  necessary  to  finish  it  up  for  all  kinds  of  inside  trim,  in- 
cluding grills,  mantels,  store  fixtures  of  all  descriptions,  window  and  door  frames,  etc.  Many  of  the  finest  stores 
and  residences  in  eastern  North  Carolina  have  been  finished  on  the  inside  by  this  plant.  The  company  owns  a  vast 
amount  of  standing  timber,  sufficient  to  supply  them  with  the  raw  material  for  several  years,  and  also  owns  several 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  fee  simple,  and  they  are  constantly  adding  to  their  holdings. 

This  company  has  a  paid  up  capital  of  $300,000.00  on  which  it  pays  a  substantial  dividend  just  as  regularly  as  the 
years  come  and  go. 


History  Of  The  Business. 


In  1897,  Messrs.  W.  L.  Groom,  J.  H.  Harris,  Howard  E.  Baker  and  Abram  McHenry  formed  a  copartnership 
to  operate  the  old  Tar  River  Lumber  Company  plant,  with  Mr.  W.  L.  Groom  as  manager.  The  business  was  com- 
paratively small  at  that  time,  but  succeeded  from  the  beginning,  owing  to  the  competency  of  the  manager,  Mr. 
Groom,  and  to  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  lumber  business  from  the  moment  the  timber  is   cut  from   the   stump 

43 


MR.  W.  L.  GROOM 

President  and  General  Manager. 


until  it  has  become  a  finished  product.  In  1902,  Messers.  Harris,  Groom  and  Baker  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr, 
McHenry.  The  plant  continued  to  grow  and  prosper  until  April  4th  1905  when  it  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire,  the 
loss  being  about  $40,000,  with  insurance  of  $19,000.  For  a  time,  it  was  doubtful  as  to  whether  or  not  the  company 
would  rebuild  in  Rocky  Mount.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  was  a  matter  that  greatly  concerned  every  loyal  citizen 
of  the  city,  and  there  was  much  gratification  when  the  company  finally  decided  to  rebuild  here  on  even  a  larger  and 
more  magnificient  scale.     The  present  site  was  then  secured  and  the  present  mammoth  plant  constructed. 

44 


"The   Master  Hand." 

The  story  of  the  success  and  growth  of  the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company  is  largely  the  story  of  the  wonderful 
experience  and  energy  of  one  man.  This  man  came  to  Rocky  Mount,  a  stranger  from  the  North,  in  1896,  and  has 
taught  this  section  a  new  lesson  in  industrial  achievement,  and  has  organized  a  monster  business  by  gathering  up  and 
with  a  master  hand,  crystalizing  into  a  great  and  beneficial  industry,  the  ragged  ends  of  what  had  hitherto  been  a 
slipshod,  nondescript  business— he  has  taught  and  assisted  the  people  of  this  section  to  utilize  in  the  most  productive 
manner,  their  large  timber  holdings  which  had  before  been  something  of  a  burden  rather  than  otherwise.  Scores  of 
families  now  have  abundant  reason  for  gratitude  to  him  for  the  means  furnished  them  to  clear  from  their  homes  the 
incubus  of  mortgages  that  had  been  hanging  over  them  for  years.  This  man's  name  is  William  L.  Groom,  Presi- 
dent and  General  Manager  of  the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company.  Mr.  Groom  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  Feb.  1896, 
and  started  this  lumber  business  in  one  of  the  hardest  years  for  the  lumbermen  since  1893.  The  conditions  were 
such  that  the  banks  would  not  discount  commercial  paper,  no  matter  how  good  it  might  be  considered  in  ordinary 
times.  This  made  it  especially  hard  on  the  lumber  business  on  account  of  the  fact  that,  however  fine  the  sales 
might  be, they  did  not  count  for  much,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  paper  taken  in  settlement  could  not  be  used  at  the 
banks.  It  was  a  time  of  financial  stringency  and  of  business  failures  throughout  the  country.  And  yet,  Mr.  Groom 
so  managed  his  plant  that  it  was  not  shut  down  for  a  single  day  for  want  of  business.  The  utmost  economy  was 
practised,  Mr.  Groom  keeping  his  own  books  for  two  years,  doing  his  book  work  at  night  from  memoranda  jotted 
down  during  the  day  when  he  was  performing  a  strong  man's  work,  actually  laboring  as  hard  as  any  of  his  men.  In 
this  way  he  kept  things  going,  never  failing  in  his  confidence  in  the  future  of  the  business.  Still,  even  his  great 
energy  and  close  application  could  not  have  saved  the  business  if  he  had  not  been  thoroughly  conversant  with  every 
detail  and  with  every  necessary  process  involved  in  the  converting  of  the  standing  timber  into  the  finished  product 
and  advantageously  putting  it  on  the  market.  Having  had  experience,  and  having  worked  himself  up  from  the  humb- 
lest work  in  the  lumber  business,  he  was  able  to  grasp  every  detail  of  the  work  and  to  give  intelligent  and  forceful 
supervision  to  every  department. 

The  tide  of  adversity  stemmed  in  that  instance,  ihe  business  went  forward  by  leaps  and  bounds  making  money 
for  the  stockholders,  and  enlarging  its  capacity  and  spreading  its  benefits.  Then  in  1907,  came  another  crisis  in 
business  affairs— the  well  remembered  panic  of  1907  thundering  the  wreck  and  crash  of  scores  of  old  established  bus- 
inesses throughout  the  United  States.  Failures  were  almost  daily  occurrences  and  the  shutting  down  of  manufacturing 

45 


plants  and  the  discharge  of  hundreds  of  employees  was  seen  on  every  hand.  All  this  was  bound  to  affect  the  lumber 
business  very  severely,  for  it  is  well  known  that  when  panics  come,  building  and  construction  stop.  Here  in  Rocky 
Mount,  hundreds  of  men  were  thrown  out  of  employment;  but  it  is  a  notable  fact  that  not  one  day  did  the  plant  of 
the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company  stand  idle, and  not  one  man  was  discharged,  except  for  his  own  negligence.  Again, 
Mr.  Groom  was  sitting  steady  in  the  boat.  He  recognized  the  condition  of  the  large  number  of  men  and  their  fam- 
ilies who  were  depending  on  him  for  their  support,  and  he  was  determined  that  as  long  as  the  mills  could  run  without 
too  much  loss  to  his  stockholders,  who  had  their  money  invested,  that  none  of  his  men  should  lose  a  day's  work.  It 
is  not  a  matter  of  wonder  therefore,  that  labor  troubles,  insubordination  and  shiftlessness  are  practically  unknown  at 
the  plant  of  the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company,  and  that  loyalty  to  Mr.  Groom  and  the  company  is  deep-seated  in  their 
employees. 

To  further  show  the  development  of  this  staple  concern,  we  will  go  back  to  1904,  when  Mr.  Groom  decided  to 
again  enlarge  his  business  and  bought  over  a  big  lumber  plant  in  Onslow  county,  carrying  with  it  immense  tracts  of 
land  and  timber.  Mr.  Groom  purchased  this  property  as  Trustee  for  himself  and  others,  and  incorporated  it  under 
the  name  of  The  Swansboro  Land  and  Lumber  Company,  with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $150,000.00.  The  operation  of 
this  plant  has  been  very  successful,  Mr.  T.  H.  Pritchard  being  the  local  manager,  but  Mr.  Groom  exercising  in  his 
own  way,  a  supervision  that  takes  account  of  even  the  smallest  details.  The  lumber  is  shipped  from  the  Swansboro 
plant  both  by  water  and  rail.  Gasoline  tugs  are  provided  for  towing  purposes,  and  the  plant  owns  and  operates  a 
standard-gauge  railroad,  fourteen  miles  long.  The  mill  has  every  modern  improvement  and  has  a  supply  at  present 
of  seventy  five  million  feet  of  timber.  Mr.  Groom  is  also  interested  in  some  other  large  propositions  which  are  yet 
in  their  first  stages  of  development. 

The  birthplace  of  Mr.  Groom  is  at  Big  Flats,  Chemung  County,  New  York,  ten  miles  from  the  city  of  Elmira, 
and  the  year  of  his  birth  was  1861.  His  father  before  him  was  in  the  lumber  business,  Mr.  Groom  taking  on  the 
responsibility  of  the  success  of  his  father's  business  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen  years,  being  very  successful  from 
the  beginning.  He  was  educated  in  the  free  schools  of  New  York  and  completed  a  commercial  course  in  Allen's 
Business  College  in  New  York  in  1881.  At  the  age  of  twenty  three  years,  in  Feb.  1886,  Mr.  Groom  commenced  to 
learn  the  finishing  part  of  the  lumber  business  by  striking  out  for  himself.  He  began  in  the  planing  mill  business  as 
stationary  engineer.  He  was  promoted  in  five  weeks  to  the  position  of  inspector  and  buyer  of  lumber  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years.  He  was  then  made  superintendent  of  the  planing  mill  and  wholesale  shipping  department. 
Resigning  this  position  in  1889,  he  went  with  a  larger  concern,  the  Harris-McHenry  Company  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  seven  years  later  when  he  came  to  Rocky  Mount  and  established  the  Tar  River  Lumber  Company. 

46 


Mr.  Groom's  career  in  Rocky  Mount  has  been  one  long  record  of  unbroken  growth  in  usefulness,  influence, 
popularity  and  success.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  there  are  few  if  any  men  in  Rocky  Mount  who  are  held  in 
higher  esteem. 

The  citizens  elected  Mr.  Groom  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  where  he  served  four  worthful  years  and 
where  he  would  probably  be  yet  if  he  had  not  resigned,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  his  large  business  affairs.  Mr. 
Groom  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Rocky  Mount  and  one  of  its  most 
influential  members.  The  work  of  his  head  and  heart  has  been  seen  in  the  establishment  of  Sunday  Schools  and  in 
other  Missionary  work  where  it  was  most  needed.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Masonic 
Temple,  and  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  as  well  as  a  prominent  member  of  the  Pythian  Fraternity,  and  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

One  of  the  main  elements  perhaps  in  the  remarkable  success  that  Mr.  Groom  has  achieved  has  been  this  fact 
(which  those  who  are  starting  in  business  would  do  well  to  note  particularly,)  as  he  has  acquired  more  and  more 
power  and  position,  he  has  never  for  one  moment  let  up  in  the  dominating  industry  and  energy  which  have  been 
such  conspicuous  features  of  his  business  career.  If  there  is  any  difference,  he  works  harder  now  than  when  he 
first  came  to  Rocky  Mount,  recognizing  that  "eternal  vigilance"  is  the  price  of  continued  business  success  as  well  as 
of  "liberty." 

The  Tar  River  Lumber  Company's  business  organization,  perfected  by  Mr.  Groom,  is  a  wonder  of  thorough- 
ness and  efficiency.  He  receives  daily  reports  from  every  department  of  the  business.  He  is  thus  enabled  to  keep 
complete  tab  on  the  whole  organization,  backing  this  up  by  frequent  personal  inspections,  and  at  the  close  of  each 
day  he  can  calculate  to  a  nicety  just  what  has  been  done. 

Mr.  Groom  has  a  handsome  and  commodious  residence  at  226  Franklin  Street,  which  was  built  from  plans  drawn 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Groom  according  to  their  own  ideas.  It  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  and  most  conveniently  ar- 
ranged homes  in  the  city.  Here  Mr.  Groom  dispenses  unstinted  hospitailty  to  his  host  of  friends.  A  picture  of  the 
Groom  residence  appears  on  another  page  of  this  book. 

Altogether,  it  might  well  be  said,  that  Mr.  Groom  measures  up  fully  to  that  quality  of  man  who  in  the  words  of 
the  poet,  is  necessary  to  fitly  "constitute  a  State." 


47 


Rocky  Mount  is  famed  for 
its  beautiful  and  commodious 
residences.  It  is  truly  a  "city 
of  homes."  The  residence  of 
Mr.  W.  L.  Groom  here  shown, 
is  a  wonder  in  convenience  and 
comfort.  The  plans  for  the  res- 
idence were  drawn  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Groom,  themselves,  car- 
rying out  their  own  ideas  of  a 
model  arrangement. 


Residence  of  Mr.  W.  L.  Groom,  226  Franklin  Street. 

48 


The  Ricks  Hotel, 
Rocky  Mount,  N.  C. 


49 


KOCKY  MOUNT  HOSIERY  COMPANY 


The  Rocky  Mount  Hosiery  Company  was  organized  in  1904.  Rocky  Mount 
business  men  wanted  to  start  tome  manufacturing  industry  that  would  pay  a 
profit  and  help  the  town  by  employing  labor.  A  knitting  mill  was  suggested. 
The  industry  was  investigated  and  the  conclusion  reached  that  it  would  pay  if  a 
proper  manager  could  be  secured.  Mr.  Geo.  T.  Andrews  was  at  that  time  suc- 
cessfully operating  a  knitting  mill  at  Enfield.  He  was  induced  to  come  to  Rocky 
Mount  and  accept  the  management  of  a  mill  here.  The  mill  started  to  work  in 
March,  1905,  under  his  management,  in  a  commodious  new  brick  building  on  the 
Nashville  branch  of  the  Coast  Line  Railroad,  with  80  machines,  and  complete  dye- 


MR.  GEO.  T    ANDREWS 

ing  and  finishing  plant. 
The  fatory  has  since  ad- 
ded other  machinery,  and 
now  has  126  machines  in 
active  operation.  The  ca- 
pacity to  start  with  was 
350  dozen  pair  per  day, 

and  it  is  now  600.  Though  not  yet  two  years  old,  the  plant  has  shown  a  very  satisfactory  profit.  The  quality  of  the 
work  is  of  an  unusually  high  order  and  finds  ready  sale,  in  fact,  the  demand  is  greater  than  the  capacity  of  the  plant. 
The  success  of  the  mill  is  due  almost  entirely  to  having  secured  a  thoroughly  competent  superintendent.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Andrews  moved  to  Rocky  Mount  in  January,  1905,  and  make  a  valuable  addition  to  the  social  life  of  the  city. 

50 


ROCKY  MOUNT   TOBACCO  MARKET 


Brief  Sketch  of  Its  History— Tobacco  Raising  In  Eastern  Carolina. 


..     5 


ROCKY  MOUNT  TOBACCO  BOARD  OF  TRADE 


Bright  tobacco  has  been  raised  in  Eastern  North   Carolina  for  perhaps  sixty  years  or  more,  and  the  '  'oldest 
inhabitant"  can  hardly  recall  the  time  when  the  weed  was  first  planted  in  this  section.     Many,  however,  recall  the 


51 


hotel  was  then  changed  to  the  name  of  The  Alton,  receiving  this  name  as  an  honor  to  the  only  child  (a  son)  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  T.  L.  Bland.  The  Alton  was  continued  in  operation  under  the  ownership  of  Messrs.  Ricks  and  Bland. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  operation  of  The  Ricks  and  Alton  Hotels  under  the  ownership  of  Messrs.  Ricks  and 
Bland,  The  Cambridge,  which  had  been  renovated  throughout,  and  made  into  what  would  be  considered  a  really 
modern  hotel  under  ordinary  circumstances  for  any  city  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina, this  hotel  was  operated  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  V.  E.  Porch.  After  this  hotel  had  been  conducted  under  such  management  for  nearly  a 
year,  it  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  Ricks  and  Bland  and  used  to  assist  mainly  in  the  accommodation  of  guests  that 
overflowed  The  Ricks.  '  ,,,,,,,,. 

-About  the  time  of  the  purchase  of  The  Cambridge,  Messrs.  Ricks  and  Bland  decided  to  lease  the  Hotel  Louise, 
at  Washington,  N.  C.  They  spent  a  considerable  outlay  in  renovating  and  refurnishing  this  hotel,  which  was  even 
then  considered  the  leading  hotel  of  that  city.  Mr.  W.  E.  Porch,  whose  picture  appears  on  these  pages,  had  achieved 
a  fine  reputation  as  a  hotel  man  in  Norfolk  and  other  cities,  and  Messrs.  Ricks  and  Bland  realizing  his  ability  as  such, 
placed  him  in  charge  of  the  hotel  at  Washington, 

All  of  these  ventures  of  Messrs.  Ricks  and  Bland  proved  eminently  successful,  so  much  so  that  they  recently  de- 
cided to  invade  the  Capital  city  of  our  State  and  see  what  their  ability  as  hotel  men  could  accomplish  in  that  loca- 
tion. A  proposition  was  made  to  them  by  the  law  firm  of  Messrs.  Jones  &  Bailey,  they  offering  to  erect  a  modern 
hotel  building  and  lease  same  for  a  certain  number  of  years  to  the  firm  of  Ricks  &  Bland,  the  latter  to  furnish  and 
operate  same.  The  erection  of  this  hotel  is  going  on  at  the  present  time  and  will  be  rushed  to  completion.  It  is  ex- 
pected to  be  finished  and  ready  for  the  accommodation  of  the  public  sometime  during  the  early  Fall,  certainly  by  the 
time  of  the  State  Fair.     A  picture  of  this  building  as  it  will  appear  when  finished  is  shown  on  these  pages. 

Elsewhere  in  this  book  appears  a  complete  history  of  the  life  and  accomplishments  of  the  senior  member  of  this 
firm,  Mr.  R.  H.  Ricks,  who  has  seemed  to  possess  the  happy  faculty  of  discernment  of  ability  in  his  fellow  man,  for 
with  hardly  an  exception,  every  man  with  whom  he  has  associated  in  business  has  been  successful. 

In  respect  to  Mr.  T.  L.  Bland,  when  his  natural  opportunities  and  youthfulness  are  considered,  his  success  is 
truly  remarkable.  Any  one  having  read  of  his  accomplishments  would  naturally  think  it  must  have  required  a  long 
stretch  of  years  to  have  acquired  such  success,  but  at  the  present  writing  Mr.  Bland  is  only  28  years  of  age. 
As  we  have  previously  stated  in  this  article,  Mr.  Bland  first  saw  the  light  on  a  farm.  This  seems  to  be  a  fortunate 
circumstance  for  a  man  of  natural  ability,  partly  accounted  for  from  a  view  point  that  healthful  surroundings  give  a 
man  a  strong  body  to  support  a  strong  mind,  and  also  fires  one  with  ambition  to  such  an  extent  that  a  foothold  hav- 
ing been  gained  in  a  more  thickly  settled  community,  application  is  more  constant  and  success  generally  more  rapid. 

52 


ML     laMllM^m^..'   jmg 


Not  being  satisfied  with 
work  on  the  farm,  after 
receiving  a  business  ed- 
ucation in  Kentucky,  he 
returned  to  the  county 
of  Pitt  (in  which  he  was 
born  in  1882.)  and  in 
July,  1903,  was  married 
to  Miss  Queenie  Mc- 
Gowan,  a  woman  of  cul- 
ture, beauty  and  strong 
character,  who  has  been 
of  great  assistance  to  Mr. 
Bland  in  his  business 
enterprises.  They  have 
one  child  (a  son)  Alton, 
six  years  old,  for  whom 
the  Alton  was  named,  as 
above  stated. 

Mr.  Bland  came  to 
„,  „  Rocky  Mount  and  took 

THE  CAMBRIDGE  HOTEL,  Rocky  Mount,  N.  C.  charge  of  the   Cuthrell 

in  May,  19CG.  His  subsequent  success  has  been  told  above  in  this  article,  and  needs 
no  elaboration,  the  plain  statements  of  facts  stand  for  themselves  and  are  strong  tes- 
timony to  his  business  ability.  Before  closing  the  description  of  Mr.  Bland  it  should 
be  stated  in  justice  to  him  that  he  has  the  happy  faculty  of  making  each  and  every 
traveling  man  feel  at  home  when  he   stops  at  a  hotel  conducted  by  him. 

THE  RICKS  HOTEL. 
The  Ricks  Hotel  is  a  strictly  modern  four-story  structure  of  stone  and  pressed  brick,  sp'.endly  located  on    Man 

53 


THE  LOUISE  HOTEL, 
Washington,  N.  C. 


Street,  next  to  the  Coast  Line  station.  It  has  75  bedrooms,  (all  outside,)  40  rooms 
having  private  bath;  telephone  (both  local  and  long  distance)  in  every  room,  and  at 
every  table  in  the  dining  room.  Its  lobbies,  parlors,  and  writing  rooms  are  hand- 
somely furnished;  the  spacious  auditorium,  billiard  and  pool  rooms,  barber  shop 
and  pressing  club,  as  well  as  soda  fountain  and  drug  store  add  much  to  the  pleasure 
and  convenience  of  the  guests.  Has  its  own  cold  storage  plant,  and  printery,  and 
is  equipped  with  an  electric  elevator.  This  hotel  is  as  near  perfect  as  money  and 
thorough  management  can  make  it. 

THE  CAMBRIDGE  HOTEL. 

This  hotel  is  second  only  to  the  Ricks  in  this  section,  and  in  point  of  service 
and  other  respects  is  kept  at  the  same  high  point  of  efficiency.  It  is  three-stories, 
has  42  rooms,  thoroughly  modern,  telephone  in  each  room,  private  baths  in  a  large 
portion  of  the  rooms.  The  Cambridge  is  built  of  stone  and  pressed  brick  and  is  it- 
self an  imposing  structure. 

THE  ALTON  HOTEL. 

The    Alton  has  22  rooms,  with   all   modern  accommodations,    within  a  min- 
MK.  W.  L.  PORCH,  ute's  walk  of  the  station,  and  as  is  the  case  with  the  above  mentioned  hotel,   is   al- 

Mgr.  Hotel  Louise,  Washington,  N.C.     ways  well  filled  with  guests. 

THE  LOUISE  HOTEL,  WASHINGTON,  N.  C. 
This  is  an  admirably  constructed  hotel,  built  of  pressed   brick.     It  is  three  stories,  has  65  rooms,  thoroughly 
modern  in  its  equipment  and  under  the  capable  management  of  Mr.  W.  E.  Porch.     Washington  has   always   been   a 
popular  point  with  the  traveling  men,  and  since  the  administration  of  Messrs.  Ricks  &  Bland,  the    Louise   has   been 
headquarters  there  and  patronage  has  greatly  increased. 

THE  BLAND  HOTEL,  RALEIGH,  N.  C. 
And  now  The  BLAND!    This  is  to  be  a  five-story-up-to-date-in-every-detail,  hostelry.     Aside  from  the   fact  of 
its  being  the  best  in  the  State  when  completed,  it  will  vie  with  any  in  the  South  and  will  have  eighty  rooms. 

54 


MR.  J.  C  BRASWELL'S  RESIDENCE, 

55 


COUNTRY  RESIDENCE  OF 
HON.  R.  H.  RICKS. 


56 


HON.  ROBERT  H.  RICKS,  Soldier,  Legislator,  Financier. 


The  story  of  Leonidas  and  his  Three  Hundred  Spartans  at  Thermopylae,  and  the  tale  of  the  last  matchless  charge 
of  the  Old  Guard  at  Waterloo,  have  numberless  times  thrilled  the  hearts  of  men  who  love  bravery,  loyalty  and  patri- 
otism. 

Leonidas  and  his  Spartans,  and  the  devoted  and  favorite  troops  of  the  Corsican  "Man  of  Destiny"  have  long 
since  fallen  on  sleep  in  "the  bivouac  of  the  dead";  but  Rocky  Mount  and  North  Carolina  are  yet  blest  in  that  they  do 

57 


r 


not  yet  have  to  dig  in  the  ashes  of  the  past  for  heroes  to  honor.     A  few  of  them,  yearly  growing  pitifully  fewer    an 
come  US         W£  may  l0°k  °"  thCm  3nd  h3Ve  the  St0ry  0f  the  priviIeSe  ^  tell  to  fu?Sldren  inthc ?  years to 

There  live :  in  Rocky  Mount  today,  two  of  the  immortal  Six  who  volunteered  to  charge  the  house  at  RethH  in 
which  charge  the  life  of  Henry  Wyatt,  one  of  the  Six,  was  offered  up   as  the  first   red  sacrifice  on   the   altar  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy.     These  living  heroes  are  John  H.  Thorpe  and  Robert  H   R  cks  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
the  only  other  survivor  being  R.  H    Bradley,  Marshal  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina  ' 

The  story  of  he  life  of  Robert  H.  Ricks  is  an  epic  that  brings  pride  to  every  North  Carolinian  Not  less  re 
nowned  in  peace  than  m  war  he  has  come  to  fill  perhaps  a  larger  place  in  the  industrial  affair"  o "this  cut  and  sec" 
t.on  than  any  other  individual  He  is  at  present,  President  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills  the  largest  m£uSSiiri5i« 
concern  m  the  city,  Vice-President  and  Director  and  one  of  the  lareest  stockholders  in  ThJ .  R«nt  of  i£  "  m  *g 
^^ffin^^l  institution,  Vice-President  of  ftefi^^ffx^^MflJiSSd^t  of°f he Ig&y 
Mount  Ice  &  Fuel  Co.,  President  of  the  Enfield  Hosiery  Mills   member  of  the  firm  nf  \}\rV*   I    ri"  a      I  V 

^fftnt  hotels  in  Rocky  Mount,  one  in  Washington,  and  have  one  now  in  course  STS? 

e.gh  that  will  be  without  a  peer  in  the  Capital  City,  member  of  the  firm  of  Thorpe &  Ricks  among  the  latest  teif 
tobacco  dealers  in  Eastern  North  Carolina,  member  of  the  firm  of  H.  E.  Brewer  &  Co    one  oFthe  citv's  largest  re 
lliand  S?Sy  ft0reS;  3nd  ?art  ■0WK1?eru0f  the  Jeffreys-Ricks  Clay  Works,  large   brick   manufacturers      Mr    Ricks  is 
te2£^StiffiXS£g&?'md  "  intereSt£d  -umerousotherthings  of  „S?„f cAuSS  ffi 

SS5SS ^Sy-an^ril^f^w^1  """  ^^  the  beSt  f"  *e  ^  a"d  Ss  »- t 

Volunteering  in  the  famous  "Bethel  Regiment"  at  the  first  bugle-call  to  battle  in  1861    sharing  with  Wvatt  and  l 
his  comrades  the  first  honors  of  the  war,  the  breast  of  Robert  H.  Ricks  was  bared  to  he  enemy"!  bullets  hundreds 
ttr mSShSm  °Ahl  bel°ved  Southland.     And  when  the  Star  of  the  Confederacy  had  Ely  se :  £  agony  and 
fighting. "'"d  the  bloody  horizon  at  Appomattox,  Robert  H.    Ricks  and   his  famous    ''Manley's  Battery"    were  st"ll 

For  this  man  NEVER  SURRENDERED! 

During  the  last  fighting  around  Appomattox,  having  charged  further  ahead  than  had  been  anticipated,  Mr.  Ricks' 

58 


SCENE  OF  R.  H.  RICK'S  FARM. 

;ommand  in  some  way  became  cut  off  from  the  main  body  of  Southern  troops  (here  they  delivered  their  last  artillery 
ire  of  the  war,  having  an  opportunity  to  fire  point-blank  in  the  face  of  Sheridan's  charging  cavalry,  and  did  terrible 
execution.  Henry  Biggs,  uncle  of  the  present  Judge  J.  Crawford  Biggs,  was  killed  in  the  fight);  and  when  the  last 
lope  was  gone,  and  it  became  known  to  them  that  their  beloved  "Marse  Roberf'had  at  last  become  enveloped  in  the 
reat  mass  of  attacking  hosts  and  had  yielded  to  the  inevitable,  Mr.  Ricks  with  two  other  kindred  spirits  "took  to  the 
nountains",  determined  that  as  they  had  followed  the  Stars  and  Bars  four  years  without  yielding,  at  that  late  day 
heir  arms  should  not  be  stricken  at  Federal  command.  For  fourteen  days,  Mr.  Ricks,  on  foot  and  after  a  time  having 
become  separated  from  his  companions,  traversed  the  woods  and  mountains,  keeping  under  cover  and  living  as  best 
le  could.  He  crossed  the  Dan  River  at  Leaksville,  and  finally  arrived  at  home  in  Nash  county,  footsore  and  weary, 
Dut  still  unconquered  and  under  no  oath  or  parole.  Thus  was  demonstrated,  the  same  indomitable  spirit  and  courage 
hat  have  meant  so  much  since  the  war  in  this  man's  efforts  to  build  up  his  wasted  and  impoverished  South. 

We  write  it  here  in  plain  words,  but  it  should  be  written  in  letters  of  gold,  that  not  once  in  those  four  ensanguined 
»rears  of  the  bloodiest  war  known  to  history,  did  Mr.  Ricks'  battery  ever  retreat  from  a  charge  in  front.  Twenty-one 
;harges  were  sustained  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House;  at  Cold  Harbor,  the  wheels  of  the  gun  Mr.  Ricks  was  operat- 
ng  were  actually  shot  down  with  minie  balls,  so  completely  that  new  wheels  had  to  be  put  on  before  the  gun  could 
3e  moved,  the  only  instance  of  the  kind  on  record,  and  Mr.  Ricks  himself  was  struck  five  times  in  this  one  fight;  yet 

59 


his  battery  never  retreated  from  a  front  attack  and  he  never  surrendered.  History,  ancient  or  modern  cannot  furn- 
ish a  more  glorious  record.  Belonging  to  the  same  battery,  were  Thomas  Rolac,  afterward  a  United  States  Judge 
in  Alabama,  William  Jones,  for  years  Mayor  of  Petersburg,  Va.,  Ex-Sheriff  Atkinson  of  Johnston  county  and  other 
men  whose  valiant  conduct  on  hard-fought  fields  furnished  a  forecast  of  their  subsequent  achievements. 

"And  since  that  dark  day  in  the  Spring-Time, 
,  "When  a  nation's  sun  went  down," 

Mr.  Ricks   like  his  suffering  mater  dolorosa,  Carolina,  has  just  as  bravely,    and   with  the   same   sublime    fortitude 
taken  up  the   more  harassing  battle  of  Peace,  and  has  wrought  a  great  man's   work   in    helping  to   raise   from  the 
ashes  of  ruined  homes  and  fortunes,  a  new  and  beautiful  commonwealth,  infinitely  stronger  and   richer  in  material 
wealth  and  prosperity,  but  withal,  holding  fast  to  the  honor  and  high  ideals  of    our    fathers.     Returning     as   stated 
above,  after    the  Surrender,"  heartsick,  but  strong  and  unafraid,  young  Ricks  went  back  to  work  with  an  old  bach- 
elor named  Wells,  with  whom  he  had  lived  before  the  war,  and  now  began  again  at  the  princely  (?)  salary  of  $10  per 
month  and    keep".     Those  were  hard  days,  but  young  Ricks  saved  his  money.     When  he  had   accumulated  $300 
(his  salary  having  been  raised  in  the  meantime)  he  made  his  first  investment  in  stock  of  the  old  Wilmington  &  Weldon 
Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  system.     This  proved  a   fortunate  investment,    showing  even  that 
early  the  sound  business  judgment  of  the  young  investor,  and  on  a  later  sale,  netted   him  $600    profit      Mr     Wells 
soon  after  died  leaving  young  Ricks  additional  stock  in  this  railroad,  which  he  sold  for  $1600      In  187J     Mr     Ricks 
came  to  Rocky  Mount  and  built  a  house  on  Church  Street,  hauling  in  the  timber  himself  at  night  from   the   country 
He  sold  this  house  at  a  profit  of  $300,  and  for  some  time,  continued  to  build  houses  and  sell  them.   From  this  period 
his  rise  financially  has  been  substantially  rapid.     Today  he  is  Rocky  Mount's  and  this  section's  wealthiest  citizen      It 
has  seemed  that  he  has  had  only  to  connect  himself  with  a  business  to  render  it  very  successful.     This  of  course  has 
been  due  to  executive  ability,  unerring  judgment  of  men,  and  to  the  high  standard  and  just  methods  of  all  his   com- 
mercial dealings.     He  has  been  "square"  to  his  fellow  man,  and  his  fellow  man  has  known  he  could  trust  him 

hver  a  busy  man  and  much  occupied  with  his  large  and  varied  business  interests,  Mr.  Ricks  has  yet  made  sacri- 
fices and  found  time  to  serve  his  county  and  state  to  their  great  satisfaction  and  profit  in  a  number  of  public  stations 
1  he  people  have  been  delighted  to  honor  him,  and  never  has  this  failed  of  the  utmost  warrant  in  his  case  He  was 
tor  tour  years  on  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Nash  county;  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  1903:  State  Senator  from  Nash  in  1905;  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  four  years  and  its 
chairman;  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  State  Penitentiary;  and  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 

60 


PRIMING  TOBACCO  TO  GO  IN  BARN  FOR  CUR1NG-R.  H.  RICKS  FARM. 
North  Carolina  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College.     In  each  of  these  capacities,  Mr.  Ricks  has  served  with   honor 
to  himself  and  with  signal  credit  to  the  public. 

61 


PREPARING  TOBACCO  FOR  CURING  AT  R.  H.  RICKS  FARM. 

The  poor  and  the  needy,  as  well  as  deserving  men  struggling  under  difficulties,  have  found  in  Mr  Ricks  a  wise 
counsellor  and  a  friend  whose  hand  was  open.  At  one  time,  when  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools  were  in  tem- 
porary straits,  Mr.  Ricks  contributed  $800.  from  his  own  pocket  to  meet  their  pressing  needs.  This  is  but  one 
instance  of  many  where  he  has  come  to  the  rescue  of  deserving  men  and  things  when  they  were  hard  pressed 

As  a  planter,  Mr.  Ricks  has  for  years  been  blazing  the  way  for  better  and  more  scientific  farming  methods  and 
cultivation,  and  consequently  more  remunerative  agriculture.  He  was  the  pioneer  in  this  section  in  the  growth  and 
culture  of  tobacco,  which  has  since  become  such  a  great  industry  here.  Here  was  illustrated  the  foresight  and  judg- 
ment that  have  been  such  prominent  characteristics  of  his  business  career.  Mr.  Ricks  owns  some  1600  acres  of  the 
best-situated,  most  highly  improved  and  most  valuable  farming  lands  in  Nash  county,  besides  his  extensive  real  estate 
holdings  in  the  city  of  Rocky  Mount.  His  large  plantation,  five  miles  from  the  city,  and  his  modern  and  intensive 
farming  methods,  and  machinery,  are  a  model  for  the  farmers  of  this  section.  His  plantation  home  is  a  gem,  from 
standpoints  of  beauty,  convenience  and  architecture.  The  broad  and  beautiful  grounds  surrounding  his  home  were 
laid  out  by  an  expert  landscape  artist,  and  constitute  one  of  the  loveliest  views  in  the  county.  Stately  oaks  and  sweet 
magnolias  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  surroundings. 

62 


LOAD  TOBACCO  LEAVES- R.  H.  RICKS  FARM. 


63 


COW  BARN  AND  SILO- RICKS  FARM. 

On  this  plantation,  cotton,  tobacco,  corn  and  grasses  reach  their  highest  state  of  cultivation  and  production.  Mr. 
Ricks  has  the  gift  of  maintaining  an  ideal  state  of  efficiency  and  order  among  his  tenants.  Perhaps  his  unquestioned 
justice,  and  his  consideration  for  their  needs  and  comfort,  account  in  a  measure  for  this.  His  tenant  houses  are  well 
built  and  commodious,  and  are  all  painted  and  well-cared  for.  Every  facility  is  at  hand  for  the  cultivation  and  hand- 
ling of  the  crops  through  every  stage  and  process,  and  the  use  of  machinery  wherever  possible  is  the  rule. 

Mr.  Ricks  was  married  in  1874,  to  Miss  Tempie  Thome,  of  the  prominent  family  of  that  name,  and  their  union 
has  been  a  notably  congenial  and  happy  one.  They  have  no  children;  but  the  children  of  others,  not  so  well  provid- 
ed with  this  world's  goods,  have  many  times  had  reason  to  bless  their  goodness  and  liberality  in  the  furnishing  of 
means  for  education,  etc. 

As  a  banker,  manufacturer,  industrial  captain  and  capitalist,  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  respect  and  love  Robert 
H.  Ricks,  for  his  rectitude,  great  ability,  absolute  justice  and  generosity;  but  it  is  as  the  young  soldier  of  the   South, 

64 


his  heart  fired  with  iove  of  his  state  and  with  the  daring  and  fortitude  of  his  nature,  that  he  is  still  dearer  to  them— the 
boy  in  homespun  charging  the  house  with  his  martyr  comrade  Wyatt  at  Bethel,  and  fleeing  to  the  mountains  rather 
than  taste  bitter  surrender  in  the  last  sad  hours  of  the  conflict.  A  tie  that  links  us  with  the  loved  Past  and  with  the 
shades  of  those  who  died  for  the  Lost  Cause  on  a  hundred  battlefields,  the  living  incarnation  of  the  tremendous  force 
that  has  resulted  from  the  mingling  and  fusion  of  the  honor  and  courage  of  the  Old  South,  with  the  progress  and  in- 
dustrial spirit  of  the  New— 

So,  here  we  present  him  to  you,  "My  Lords  and  Gentlemen,"  our  First  Citizen,,  Senator-Soldier-Industrial 
Captain,  and  Master  Builder;  but  above  all,  the  type  of  which  "Nature  can  stand  up  and  say  before  all  the  world: 
'This  is  a  MAN.'  " 


65 


details  of  the  insurance  business.  She  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  foremost  families  in  this  section  and  is  universally 
popular. 

Mr.  Paul  Gorham,  who  has  entire  control  of  the  rental  department,  also  comes  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of 
this  section.  He  has  been  with  the  firm  for  several  years  and  his  success  in  the  able  management  of  his  depart- 
ment of  the  business  has  proven  his  ability. 

Mr.  Jacob  Battle,  Jr.,  who  recently  accepted  a  position  as  book-keeper,  is  one  of  the  most  competent  in  the  city. 
He  has  held  several  important  similar  positions  and  was  secured  by  this  firm  upon  its  becoming  general  agents  of  The 
Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Co.  of  Rocky  Mount.  He  is  a  son  of  Judge  Jacob  Battle  and  one  of  the  family  of  that 
name  which  has  achieved  such  prominence  and  acquired  many  honors  in  the   history  of  the  State. 

Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson  is  the  general  agent  of  the  Maryland  Life  Insurance  Co.,  of  Baltimore  for  Eastern  Carolina 
and  has  placed  a  large  amount  of  business  for  that  company. 


66 


I 


9 


MR.  THOMAS  H.  BATTLES  RESIDENCE. 


67 


their  share  to  the  prosperity  above  outlined,  being  the  mainstay  ot  the  country  and  rendering  the  era  ot  prosperity 
possible  and  to  them  should  be  given  more  than  a  liberal  share  of  credit.  Unfortunately  the  seasons  have  been 
noor  for  the  past  few  years  and  the  crops  have  been  worse  than  poor,  and  the  farmer  has  suffered  thereby,  and  some 
§f  them  have  become  discouraged;  but  to  the  intelligent,  who  study  the  signs  of  the  times,  a  brighter  day  is  in  store 
for  the  tobacco  raiser  The  trade  conditions  are  better  than  ever  before.  The  large  companies  are  invading  China, 
Japan  Corea  and  other  countries,  where  the  opium  habit  has  enthralled  the  masses  for  centuries  and  are  now  sup- 
Wanting :  that  deadly  curse  with  the  cigarette,  and  the  pipe,  filled  with  fragrant  North  Carolina  tobacco  and  are  eman- 
dpSthose  people  from  the  slavery  that  has  held  them  bound  for  years,  and  are  doing  beneficial  work,  paving 
Se  way  for  a  more  enlightened  civilization..  The  leaf  tobacco  dealers  are  extending  heir  trade  and  finding  new 
outlets  for  tobacco  all  the  time,  while  independent  manufacturers  are  multiplying  rapidly  on  all  sides.  Thus  the  con- 
sumption of  tobacco  is  rapidly  increasing  while  the  production  is  scarcely  keeping  pace  With  same.  Then  too .with 
the  new  methods  of  fertilization,  as  taught  by  the  government  experts,  improved  fertilizers  being  used  he quality  of 
he  leaf  will  doubtless  be  improved  also,  and  command  a  larger  price-one  that  is  remunerative,  and  it  would  be  un- 
wise for  the  farmer  to  abandon  the  production  of  tobacco  just  when  the  time  is  a  hand  when  he  can  reap  the :  ull  re- 
ward of  his  labor.  It  is  a  wise  farmer  that  does  not  put  all  his  eggs  in  one  basket,  but  diversifies  his  crop,  Panting 
only  so  much  as  he  can  well  care  for  and  give  the  proper  cultivation  to  same.  Cotton  is  selling  high  now  but  who 
knows  when  it  will  reach  the  low  level  of  1901-2  when  it  sold  for  4  to  5c.  and  tobacco  was  selling  at  10  to  12c.  and  but 
for  Tat staple  the  whole  country  might  have  been  bankrupt.  So  let's  diversify  the  crops,  ra.se  some  cotton  some 
nenniits  and  some  tobacco  and  if  we  fail  on  one  crop  we  may  hit  it  on  another  and  thus  continue  the  tide  of  pros- 
Serrtv  thatis  sweeping  o?er our  fair  land  We  have  the  best  land  and  the  best  people  on  earth  and  with  the  proper 
efforts  put  forth,  all  working  together  in  a  spirit  of  unanimity,  employing  the  best  and  most  scientific  methods,  ws 
can  make  this  section  of  the  country  blossom  like  the  rose. 


68 


THE  PLANTERS  BANK 

The  Leading  Financial  Institution  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  Nash 
and  Edgecombe  Counties— Has  the  Largest  Resources 

The  banks  of  a  city  usually  furnish  an  unfailing  barometer  by  which  to  judge  of  its  progressiveness  and  worth. 
If  the  banks  are  in  full  sympathy  with  every  progressive  movement,  backing  them  up  when  consistent,    with  an  eye 

, always  to  helping  forward  the  small  business  that  is  deserving,  as  well  as  the  larger 

ones,  the  effect  of  such  a  policy  is  felt  in  the  quickening  of  business  in  every  channel 
of  trade;  and  the  city  having  such  banks  is  bound  to  be  a  live  and  growing  one. 

THE  PLANTERS  BANK  OF  ROCKY  MOUNT  was  born  in  the  progressive 
spirit,  and  of  men  who  typify  the  liberal  and  aggressive  policy  above  outlined.  In 
every  movement  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  city  and  county  since  the  organization  of 
this  bank,  its  officers,  directors  and  stockholders  have  been  leaders,  and  the  support 
of  this  strong  institution  has  been  a  chief  reliance. 

The  men  behind  this  bank,  from  its  president  on  down,  are  men  who  have  per- 
formed a  large  share  in  making  the  city  and  community  what  they  are  today  and  the 
large  interests  of  these  men  are  all  centered  here. 

THE  PLANTERS  BANK  was  organized  in  1899,  to  meet  the  demand  for  greater 
and  more  ample  banking  facilities  brought  about  by  the  rapid  growth  of  the  city,  and 
to  foster  and  encourage  new  industries.  It  has  been  the  uni'crm  policy  of  the  bank 
officials,  as  well  as  their  pleasure,  to  encourage  small  deposi':;rs,  liberally  uphold  them 
when  deserving,  and  extend  them  every  courtesy  which  the  larger  depositors  receive. 
The  result  of  this  policy  can  be  plainly  seen  in  the  great  popularity  and  strength  of 
this  bank  among  the  smaller  businesses  and  among  the  farmers  of  this  section,  as  well  as  among  the  business  concerns 
of  larger  capital  and  greater  scope.     In  fact,  the  consideration  with  which  this  bank  treats  its  customers,  and  the  pleas- 

69 


PLANTERS  BANK  BUILDING 


,.J,II  ...111..         III. 


J.  C.BRASWELL, 
President 


J.  W.  AYCOCK, 
Cashier 

70 


W.  W.  AVERA, 

Asst.  Cashier 


ant  manner  in  which  all  business  done  with  them  is  transacted  has  become  axiomatic,  the  customers  feeling  that  in 
the  bank  officials,  they  have  friends  and  valuable  business  advisers  as  well  as  bankers 

A  bank  conducted  along  these  lines  was  bound  to  become  a  tremendous  force  in  the  community  and  the  follow- 
ing comparative  statement  will  furnish  some  idea  of  the  rapid  and  substantial  growth  in  capital,  deposits  and  resources, 
of  this  popular  institution. 


COMPARATIVE  ST  A 1  hMblN  1 

Capital                Surplus  and  Profits             Deposits                      Resources 

Jan.  1,  1904 

40,000 

17,458.91                      158,833.01 

224,694.59 

Jan.  1,  1905 

40,000 

21,785.44 

160,314.05 

235,868.94 

Jan.  1,  1906 

40,000 

28,704.04 

197,340.19 

270,395.06 

Jan.  1, 1910 

100,000 

50,000.00 

293,715.19 

444,613.52 

Jan.  1,  1911 

100,000 

55,178.69 

341,569.65 

501,257.58 

greatest 

valued  patrons 

Richmond,  are  its  correspondents.  e  .    ,  a   .  ,.       „„_ 

The  Board  of  Directors  is  an  especially  fine  one,  every  name  on  it  standing  for  honor,  financial  strength  cour- 
tesy, care,  and  efficiency.  The  following  stockholders  are  members  of  the  Board  of  Directors:  M  C.  braswell 
(merchant,  planter  and  capitalist,  Battleboro,  N.  C.)  H.  B.  Bryan  Planter,  Bat  eboro,  N.  C.)  Geo.  S.  Edwards 
head  ofG  S.  Edwards  &  Co.  Wholesale  Grocers  of  Rocky  Mount)  M.  R  Braswell  (Physician  retired  and  plante.) 
J.  R.  Sorsby  (head  of  Standard  Hardware  Co.)  J.  C.  Braswell  (President)  Jno.M.  Sherrod  (Planter:  Whitakers,  N. 
C  and  Vice-President)  W.  H.  Newell  (General  Supt.  A.  C.  L.  Railroad  Co.,)  W.  T.  Wilhford  (Merchant)  W.  S. 
Wilkinson  (of  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Co.)  H.  B.  Marriott  (Physician  of  Battleboro.) 

The  above  names  are  a  guarantee  which  no  man  can  gainsay,  and  the  sufficiency  of  which  almost   every   citizen 

71 


of  Rocky  Mount  and  this  section  fully  knows  that  the  affairs  of  this  bank  must  be  conducted  with  the    greatest  meas- 
ure of  care,  ability  and  integrity  known  to  the  business  of  banking. 

THE  GUIDING  HAND. 

An  army,  no  matter  of  how  brave  and  valiant  individual  units  it  might  be  composed,  would  fail  in  battle  without  a 
great  and  resourceful  commander.  And  also,  the  policy,  and  success  of  any  business  of  consequence  must  reflect  in 
a  great  measure,  the  qualities  of  the  guiding  and  directing  force.  No  institution  like  THE  PLANTERS  BANK 
could  have  been  created  and  built  to  its  present  magnificent  potentiality  in  the  business  life  of  Rocky  Mount,  without 
an  industrial  captain  at  its  head  that  combined  in  his  character,  the  elements  of  splendid  ability,  unquestionable  in- 
tegrity, and  a  natural  capacity  for  leadership  of  men.  James  C.  Braswell,  the  President  of  The  Planters  Eank,  has 
all  these  and  more.  His  training  has  been  ideal,  and  a  great  business  ability  and  fine  sense  of  honor,  were  his,  by 
inheritance.  His  father,  "Squire"  T.  P.  Braswell,  was  for  two  score  years,  one  of  the  most  influential,  most  re- 
spected and  best  loved  men  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

From  his  early  youth  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell  has  been  one  of  the  towering  forces  for  good  and  for  progress  in  Rocky 
Mount,  lending  his  support  to  every  worthy  cause  and  frequently  leading  where  a  high  order  of  courage  has  been 
required.  He  is  President  of  The  Planters  Bank,  President  and  Treasurer  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Sash  &  Blind  Co., 
one  of  our  largest  manufacturing  enterprises;  of  Braswell  &  Levy,  among  the  largest  leaf  tobacco  dealers  in  North 
Carolina;  President  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Hosiery  Mills;  President  of  The  Marygold  Heights  Land  Co.;  Secretary 
of  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Co.,  leading  insurance  agents  and  real  estate  dealers;  Treasurer  of  the  Underwriters  Fire 
Insurance  Company  of  Rocky  Mount;  Vice-President  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Savings  &  Trust  Co.;  and  President  of 
The  Citizens  Building  &  Loan  Association,  which  is  performing  such  a  fine  service  in  making  Rocky  Mount  a  city  of 
home-owners.  His  high  standing  in  banking  circles  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  is  First  Vice-President  of  The  North 
Carolina  Bankers  Association,  a  post  of  honor  to  which  none  but  the  state's  soundest  and  ablest  financiers  are  ever 
elected. 

One  would  think  it  difficult  for  a  man  carrying  such  extensive  and  varied  business  responsibilities,  to  find  any 
time  for  public  duties  beyond  those  of  a  private  citizen.  And  it  speaks  volumes  for  the  apparently  unlimited  capacity 
of  this  man,  that  he  has  found  time  to  wield  one  of  the  largest  influences  for  clean  and  economical  municipal  govern- 
ment in  Rocky  Mount  for  twenty  years  past.  For  17  years  consecutively,  Mr.  Braswell  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Aldefmen,  and  one  of  the  controlling  forces  in  that  body.     He  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee, 

72 


which  has  in  charge  all  the  city's  financial  affairs.     He  is  also  one  of  the  most  influential  members  and  supporters  of 
the  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  was  its  first  President. 

The  power  and  capacity  of  such  a  man  actively  enlisted  as  Mr.  Braswell  has  always  been  in  the  forces  of  Weal 
and  Progress,  is  incalculable;  and  adding  to  this  the  fact  that  with  his  business  and  other  connections,  he  commands 
almost  unlimited  resources,  speaking  in  a  local  sense,  it  can  readily  be  seen  to  what  extent  the  city  must  ever  remain 
his  debtor. 

It  should  be  said  too,  in  this  connection,  that  as  Mr.  Braswell  and  his  associates  have  to  a  large  degree,  all  been 
"the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes,"  some  of  them  coming  up  under  very  adverse  circumstances,  those  honestly 
struggling  to  rise,  have  always  found  in  him,  a  sane  and  friendly  adviser,  and  one  who  does  not  hesitate  to  extend 
a  helping  hand  in  time  of  need. 

Mr.  Braswell  is  a  large  owner  of  Rocky  Mount  real  estate  and  of  farming  lands.  His  home  on  North  Church 
St.,  is  one  of  the  handsomest  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Braswell  was  married  about  ten  years  ago,  to  Miss  Grizzelle  Burton,  the  charming  and  accomplished  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  R.  C.  Burton.  Three  children,  two  boys,  Jas.  Craig,  Jr.,  and  Robert  Russell,  both  fine  and  intelligent 
young  fellows,  and  one  charming  little  girl,  Lillian,  have  blessed  the  home  life  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Braswell. 

Mr.  Braswell  was  born  in  1868,  and  therefore  is  now  only  43  years  of  age — scarcely  yet  in  the  full  maturity  of 
manhood. 

THE  VICE  PRESIDENT. 

The  Vice-President  of  The  Planters  Bank,  Mr.  John  M.  Sherrod,  is  a  man  "you  can  tie  to"— a  businessman  of 
sound  worth,  who  has  been  successful  to  a  very  gratifying  degree.  His  name  and  character  stand  for  integrity. 
Mr.  Sherrod  is  one  of  the  largest  land-owners  in  Edgecom'be  County,  and  one  of  its  wealthiest  citizens.  With  the 
large  resources,  he  has  scores  of  time  extended  his  hand  with  financial  assistance  to  those  in  need,  and  scores  have 
cause  to  bless  his  liberality  and  generous  nature. 

THE  CASHIER. 

The  cashier  of  The  Planters  Bank  is  Mr.  John  W.  Aycock,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  find  in  all  North  Carolina,  a 
man  better  fitted  for  the  responsible  duties  of  the  position. 

Mr.  Aycock  was  born  Oct.  4th,  1872  on  a  farm  in  Wilson  Co.,  N.  C.  His  father  early  moved  to  Johnston  Co., 
and  there  Mr.  Aycock  was  reared  on  the  farm,  developing  that  self-reliance,  and  sense  of  responsibility  which  many 

73 


sav  is  hard  to  acquire  elsewhere.  Mr.  Aycock  attended  school  and  held  a  number  of  minor  positions  up  to  1892 
when  he  went  to  Gddsboro  as  bookkeeper  for  B.  M.  Privett  &  Co.,  Wholesale  Grocers.  While  with  this  firm,  the 
Shier  of  The  Bank  of  Wayne,  noting  the  strict  business  habits  and  fine  ability  of  the  young  man,  (who  was  practi- 
cally a  stranger  to  him)  offered  him  a  position  as  asst.  bookkeeper  in  the  bank  Mr.  Aycock  accepted  and  as  has 
always  been  his  record  "made  good.''  This  was  Jan.  1,  1894.  In  August  1900  Mr.  Aycock  was  elected  Assistant 
Sr  o =  The  Bank  of  Wayne  and  held  that  position  with  great  satisfaction  to  the  bank  until  April  1,  1905  when  he 
resigned  to  accept  the  responsible  and  lucrative  office  of  State  Bank  Examiner  or  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Aycock  s 
services  o  the  state  were  eminently  satisfactory,  but  he  resigned;  and  went  back  in  the  banking  business  in  1906  or- 
ganizing and I  launching  a  new  bank,  The  National  Bank  of  Greenville,  N  C  and  being  elected  its ;  Cashier  In  less 
than  a  year,  this  bank  under  Mr.  Aycock's  administration  had  grown  until  its  deposits  were  above  $125,000.00,  a  fine 
record  for  the  first  year.  .     . 

In  Oct.  1907,  Mr.  Aycock  was  elected  Cashier  of  The  Planters  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  accepted,  resigning 
his  position  with  'the  Greenville  bank,  and  coming  to  Rocky  Mount. 

Since  his  coming  to  this  city,  Mr.  Aycock's  influence  has  steadily  been  growing,  and  he  is  today,  not  only  one 
of  the  mos t  popular  bank  officials  in  Rocky  Mount,  but  a  highly  valued  and  very  useful  citizen.  He  is  a  director  of 
The  Rocky  Mount  Savings  &  Trust  Co.,  a  stockholder  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Hos.ery  Mills,  and  a  Director  and, 
Secretary  &  Treasurer  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Mr.  Aycock  was  married  in  Dec.  1903,  to  Miss  Kate  Darden,  charming  daughter  of  the  late  Capt.  W.  A. 
Darden  of  Greene  County. 

THE  ASSISTANT  CASHIER. 

The  assistant  cashier  of  The  Planters  Bank  is  Mr.  William  Whitehead  Avera  a  native  Nash  County  boy,  and 
one  of  the  most  popular  and  most  respected  of  the  younger  business  element  of  the  city.  Mr.  Avera  was  born  in 
Rocky  Mount  Dec  12,  1877  and  was  educated  at  Oak  Ridge  Institute.  His  first  business  experience  was  as  book- 
keeper for  The  Tar  River  Lumber  Co.  At  the  organization  of  The  Planters  Bank  ,n  1899  the  stockholders  recog- 
nizing his  fine  character  and  business  capacity,  elected  him  bookkeeper,  in  which  position  he  served  most  acceptably 
for  3  years,  and  was  then  promoted  to  the  position  of  Assistant  Cashier. 

He  resigned  in  1904  to  go  into  the  mercantile  business.     However  he  came  to  recognize    that    banking  was  his 

74 


proper  vocation,  and  in  April  1910,  on  the  resignation  of  Mr.  C.  V.  Brown  to  be  Asst.  State  Bank  Examiner,  Mr. 
Avera  was  again  elected,  and  accepted  the  position  of  Asst.  Cashier  of  The  Planters  Bank.  Mr.  Avera  is  efficient, 
and  courteous,  and  possesses  the  full  confidence  of  the  public.  The  future  should  be  bright  for  him.  He  married 
Miss  Kate  Rawlings,  daughter  of  Mr.  F.  M.  Rawlings,  of  Battleboro.     Mrs.  Avera  died  in  Feb.  1907. 

Mr.  Peter  B.  Doub,  the  bank's  bookkeeper,  is  a  young  man  of  fine  parts,  who  is  competently  and  satisfactorily 
filling  a  position  that  requires  great  accuracy  and  fine  ability.  Mr.  Doub  is  a  native  of  Lee  County  and  is  20  years 
of  age. 

Mr.  Sam  T.  Mallison  the  bank's  collector,  it  is  safe  to  say,  has  not  a  superior  in  town  in  his  work,  which  really 
calls  for  a  high  order  of  courtesy,  diplomacy  and  business  ability.  He  is  always  courteous,  and  while  looking  closely 
after  the  bank's  interests,  he  yet  has  the  tact  and  gift  of  maintaining  the  most  pleasant  relations  with  the  people  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

In  fact,  as  has  been  stated  it  has  become  an  axiom  with  this  bank  and  its  employees,  that  no  matter  what  sort  or 
class  of  business  is  to  be  transacted,  the  utmost  courtesy  and  consideration  on  the  part  of  the  bank  must  obtain  and 
be  exercised. 

And  so  admirably  have  the  officials  and  employees  of  this  institution  been  selected,  that  the  practice  of  this  rule 
is  not  only  not  a  burden,  but  is  a  pleasant  privilege.  Appreciation  of  business  is  not  only  felt,  but  is  shown  in  all 
their  dealings  with  the  public. 

THE  BANK  BUILDING. 

This  article  should  not  be  closed  without  a  word  about  the  elegant  building  which  The  Planters  Bank  owns  and 
in  which  it  does  business. 

The  bank  building  is  a  massive  3-story  structure  of  pressed  brick  and  granite.  Architecturally,  it  is  of  very 
handsome  design  and  appearance,  and  is  thoroughly  modern  in  its  appointments  and  conveniences.  It  fronts  40  feet 
on  Main  St.;  running  west  on  Sunset  Avenue  110  feet  to  Howard  St.;  fronting  40  ft.  on  Howard  St.  That  part  of 
the  building  on  Howard  St.,  and  Sunset  Ave.,  is  occupied  on  the  first  floor  by  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Co.,  and  the 
Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  the  second  floor  by  offices,  and  the  third  floor  by  fraternal  organizations.  The 
banking  rooms  on  Main  St.,  and  Sunset  Ave.,  are  large  and  commodious  and  handsomely  finished,  in  all  respects  fit 
quarters  for  this  strong  and  leading  financial  institution. 

75 


NASH  COUNTY  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS.    (As  of  March  I,  1911.) 

By  ROBERT  E.  RANSON,  County  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

It  will  be  the  purpose  of  this  article  to  give  some  information  in  regard  to  the  school  system  of  Nash  county. 
Frequently  questions  are  asked  concerning  the  number  of  schools,  number  of  children,  and  about  other  matters  of 
concern  to  those  who  have  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Nash  County.  It  will  be  our  purpose  to  answer  briefly 
questions  It  is  felt  that  the  people  should  have  as  full  and  accurate  information  about  their  schools  as  it  is  possible 
to  give  Unfortunately  this  writer  hasn't  at  hand  statistics  showing  a  history  of  the  growth  of  the  school  system  in 
Nash  County  but  he  is  persuaded  that  the  record  of  growth  has  been  most  remarkable,  and  he  has  been  told  that 
wonderful  improvements  in  school  circles  have  taken  place  within  the  past  ten  (10)  years.  Some  of  the  figures  are 
for  the  year  1909-1910,  as  the  final  reports  for  the  present  school  year  have  not  been  sent  in.  Again  the  totals  with 
the  exception  of  the  Census  reports,  do  not  include  the  schools  of  Rocky  Mount,  Spring  Hope,  and  Sharpsburg,  as 
these  schools  operate   under  special  charters.  

According  to  the  Census  reports  there  are  6197  white  school  children  m  the  county  and  4199  colored  children, 
making  a  total  of  10396.  In  Rocky  Mount,  there  are  745  white  children  and  514  colored  on  the  Nash  side;  in  Sharps- 
burg 54  whites  and  50  colored,  and  in  Spring  Hope  there  are  319  whites  and  405  colored.  In  Nash  County  outside 
of  the  school  districts  operating  under  special  charters  there  are  5079  white  children  and  3229  colored  children. 
During  this  school  year,  52  schools  with  88  teachers  are  being  taught  for  the  white  children.  32  of  these  are  one- 
teacher  schools.  In  the  number  of  teachers,  all  the  teachers  at  Whitakers  (4)  and  at  Battleboro  (4  are  c°u.n,ted' 
although  the  children  on  the  Edgecombe  side  are  not  given  in  the  Census  report.  For  the  3229  colored  children 
there  are  38  schools  with  39  teachers.  Last  year  $16654.10  was  paid  to  white  teachers  and  $3857.12  to  colored 
teachers  This  year  the  amount  to  white  teachers  will  be  a  fraction  more,  while  the  amount  lo  colored  teachers  will 
be  a  little  less  These  figures  do  not  include  the  amounts  paid  teachers  in  the  schools  operating  under  special  charters 
nor  to  the  teachers  in  the  Battleboro  and  Whitakers  schools.  The  financial  report  made  by  the  Co.  Supt  in  July  of 
last  year  showed  that  the  total  school  fund  for  the  year  1909-1910  was  $44306.29.  Of  this  amount  $4742  57  was  a 
balance  on  hand  June  30,  1909;  $21689.46  county  school  fund;  $2390.96,  fines,  etc  ;  sale  of  property  $298.68;  exami- 
nation of  teachers  $180;  insurance  $1750;  total  county  funds  not  including  balance  $26313  23.  The  total  local  tax  fund 
was  $7671  31  The  total  received  from  the  State  last  year  was  $4725.43,  this  including  $2500  loan  fund  and  $500  tor 
high  schools.  The  total  fund  was  increased  by  private  donations  of  $85  for  libraries  and  $768 1.75  for  buildings. 
$39945.42  of  the  above  amount  was  expended,  leaving  on  hand   July   1    1910  a  balance  of  $4360.87.  $215.26.60  was 

76 


Spent  for  teachers  and  superintendent;  $9404.42  was  spent  for  buildings  and  supplies;  $1552.01  was  paid  for  adminis- 
tration, this  including  $755.16  for  county  treasurer;  mileage  and  per  diem  of  county  board,  charges  for  taking  census, 
holding  elections,  etc.,  $802.92  represents  the  borrowed  money  repaid;  $2375. 1 1  was  transferred  to  public  high  school 
fund,  and  $4284.36  was  paid  to  the  schools  operating  under  special  charters.  The  teachers  of  the  high  schools  were 
paid  from  the  amount  transferred  to  the  high  school  fund,  and  the  salaries  of  the  high  school  teachers  are  not  included 
in  the  amount  given  above  for  white  teachers. 

The  special  tax  for  this  year  will  be  $9559.12  and  the  general  county  tax  will  amount  to  $22473.21.  These  are 
the  amounts  after  all  errors,  insolvents  and  the  sheriff's  commissions  have  been  deducted.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  at 
this  time  what  the  other  funds  will  amount  to,  as  this  will  not  be  known  until  the  end  of  school  year. 

There  are  twenty-two  local  tax  districts  in  the  county,  seven  having  been  established  during  the  past  year,  add- 
ing nearly  $2,000  to  the  local  tax  fund.  There  are  thirty-three  rural  libraries,  eleven  of  these  having  been  established 
within  the  past  two  years.  There  are  fifty-one  white  school  houses  with  an  estimated  value  of  $39,200  and  thirty- 
seven  colored  school  houses  valued  at  $6,470,  making  a  total  of  $46,170,  forty-six  of  the  white  schools  and  four  of 
the  colored  schools  are  reported  as  equipped  with  Datent  desks.  At  Mt.  Pleasant  and  Red  Oak  High  Schools  hand- 
Some  dormitories  were  built  last  year.  These,  with  the  furniture,  are  worth  fully  $6,000.  Free  tuition  is  given  all 
high  school  pupils  of  the  county  at  these  schools.  Board  is  given  at  cost.  Free  tuition  is  also  given  high  school 
pupils  at  the  whitakers  school,  which  is  also  one  of  the  State  high  schools. 

Of  the  6, 197  white  children  of  the  county  3,389  live  in  districts  where  the  term  has  been  extended  by  local  tax. 
During  the  school  year  1909-10,  more  than  $1,600  was  expended  in  the  various  districts,  not  local  tax  districts,  for 
extending  the  school  term.  $1,521.75  was  raised  by  the  teachers  and  pupils  of  the  county  for  Betterment  Work. 
The  money  was  expended  in  painting  school  houses,  in  buying  pictures,  teacher's  desks  and  chairs,  window  shades, 
and  other  things  that  make  school  houses  more  attractive.  This  year  at  the  suggestion  of  the  county  superintendent 
prizes  of  $25  have  been  offered  to  the  two  schools  raising  the  most  money  for  Betterment  Work.  One  prize  will  go 
to  the  school  having  a  census  of  more  than  100  and  the  other  to  the  school  having  a  census  of  less  than  100. 


77 


ROCKY  MOUNT  SASH  AND  BLIND  COMPANY. 
This  company  is  one  of  the  most  successful  manufacturing  enterprises  in  the  city,  and  one  of  the  best  managed. 
The  high  grade  of  work  done  has  created  for  this  plant,  a  wide  and  very  desirable  market  for  its  product.  Among 
the  different  products  turned  out  are  Sash,  Doors,  Blinds,  Mouldings,  Mantels  and  Turned  Work.  Everything  re- 
quired in  a  building  of  wood  can  be  furnished  by  this  plant.  A  full  line  of  glass,  in  every  size  that  can  be  desired,  is 
also  carried.  The  reputa- 
tion for  making  the  best 
gradeof  furnishings  in  their 
line,  has  been  steadily  built 
up  by  the  most  rigid  inspec- 
tion of  every  article  turned 
out,  only  the  most  expert 
labor  being  used,  and 
honest  and  conscientious 
filling  of  every  order.  The 
fine  inside  work  in  many 
of  the  handsomest  Rocky 
Mount  residencesand  other 
>uildings  and  indeed  all 
over  Eastern  North  Car- 
olina and  elsewhere,  testify 
to  the  high  quality  of  the 
products  of  this  plant. 

This  company  has  ample 
capital  behind  it  and  is 
therefore  never  at  a  loss 
for  any  funds  necessary  for 

improvements  and  enlargement.  Its  president,  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell,  is  one  of  the  great  industrial  and  financial  lead- 
ers of  this  section.  The  active  manner  is  Mr.  J.  C.  Wynne,  a  man  with  long  experience  in  the  business  and  most 
admirably  equipped  in  the  way  of  ability  and  managerial  capacity  for  his  important  and  responsible  duties. 

78 


THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK 


Rocky  Mount's  growth  has  been  unprecedented,  but  no  more  marked  than  one  of  its  most  progressive 
institutions,  the  First  National  Bank,  and  the  only  national 
bank  doing  business  in  Rocky  Mount.  The  bank  receiv- 
ed its  charter  from  the  national  government  in  1904,  and 
began  business  on  the  morning  of  Aug.  16th,  that  year, 
since  which  time  it  has  grown  in  strength  and  usefulness. 

Its  directors  are  R.  D.  Bulluck,  P.  C.  Shore,  Gaston 
G.  Levy,  T.  T.  Thorne,  W.  H.  Home,  Geo.  L.  Wimber- 
ly,  Jr.,  Sidney  P.  Hilliard  and  Jos.  B.  Ramsey,  business 
men  in  whose  judgment  and  integrity  the  people  of  Rocky 
Mount  have  full  confidence. 

Under  the  national  banking  system,  it  is  the  duty  of 
these  directors  to  meet  once  each  month  and  direct  the  af- 
fairs of  the  institution,  and  they  perform  that  duty  with 
unfailing  regularity.  The  strong  arm  of  the  government 
requires  that  each  national  bank  be  conducted  on  a  high 
plane  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  safe-guard  the  funds  of 
the  bank  and  to  further  the  financial  interests  of  its  deposi- 
tors. The  conservative,  liberal  and  independent  policy  of 
the  First  National  Bank  has  made  it  a  principal  factor  in 
the  financial  life  of  this  community. 

The  first  home  of  the  bank  was  in  the  Tillery  Building, 
on  North  Main  Street,  but  recently  it  has  established  new 
quarters  in  the  handsome  Shore  Building,  corner  Tarboro 
and  Washington  Streets,  so  that  its  present  bank:ng  rooms 
compare  favorably  with  any  in  Eastern  North  Carolina. 

Among  the  stockholders  of  the  bank  are  many  of  the 
first  citizens  cf  Nash  and  Edgecombe  Counties,   in  which 

79 


banking 


HOME  OF  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK 


two  counties  the  city  of  Rocky  Mount  is  situated.     The  stock  of  the  bank  is  so  weii 
a  representative  body,  that  the  bank's  policy  is  assured  to  be  a  broad  and  liberal  one 
safe-guard  the  funds  of  the  bank  and  then  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  public  in 
every  way  possible. 

By  straightforward,  liberal,  progressive  business  methods  and  fair  treatment 
of  its  patrons,  the  First  National  Bank  has  taken  strong  hold  on  the  affections  and 
confidence  of  the  people,  and  its  doors,  during  banking  hours,  are  constantly  kept 
ajar  by  loyal  men,  women  and  children,  who  have  become  acquainted  with  its 
Savings  Department  slogan  "Safest  for  Savings". 

The  following  comparisons  give  a  true  estimate  of  the  bank's  present  condition 
and  it's  progress: 

Aug.  16,  1904  March  13.  1911 

Loans  and  Discounts  $       20.00  $165,760.89 

Surplus  and  Profits  60.00  5,473.30 

Deposits  1,349.49  205,929.07 

Resources  27,204.16  262,122.23 

Those  in  need  of  the  services  of  a  sound  banking  institution  are  generally 
more  or  less  interested  in  the  personnel  of  its  active  officers,  as  a  legitimate  busi- 
ness is  likely  to  succeed  only  under  active,  wise  and  prudent  management.  The 
customers  of  the  First  National  Bank  have  every  assurance  that  its  management  is 
second  to  none  in  this  city. 

The  president,  Mr.  Jos.  B.  Ramsey,  is  among  the  first  young  men  of  Eastern 
North  Carolina.  On  both  sides  of  honorable  parentage,  it  is  but  natural  that  in  the 
son  should  be  reflected  the  sturdy  characteristics  of  the  parents.  His  father  was 
the  late  beloved  and  lamented  F.  Y.  Ramsey,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  com- 
munity, and  was  one  of  its  leading  citizens.  His  mother,  Miss  Lucy  Bunn,  of 
Nash  County,  was  a  member  of  the  prominent  family  of  that  name,  and  is  remem- 
bered for  her  lovely  character  and  disposition.  Mr.  Ramsey  was  prepared  for 
college  in  the  High  School  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  was  graduated  from  the  University 
of  North  Carolina  with  distinction.     He  afterwards  read  law  under  the  late  Judge 

80 


scattered,  and  its  directors  such 
Its  officers  have  tried  first,  to 


JOS.  B.  RAMSEY.  President 


James  C.  McRae,  at  the  State  University,  from  which  he  received  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws,  and  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Rocky  Mount.  He  enjoys  a  large  and  growing  practice,  and  ranks  high  as  an  active 
lawyer  and  banker.  Few  men  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  have  accomplished  more 
—  mayor  of  the  city,  judge  of  the  Recorder's  Court  and  president  of  a  leading  bank, 
and  yet  Mr.  Ramsey  wears  his  mantle  without  ostentation  or  conceit.  He  has  al- 
ways been  a  strong  supporter  toward  any  movement  for  the  up-building  and  im- 
provement of  Rocky  Mount,  and  has  frequently  urged  upon  those  in  authority  the 
need  of  public  improvements.  He  is  one  of  the  city's  most  progressive  citizens. 
By  training,  temperament  and  natural  ability,  he  is  eminently  qualified  to  fill  the 
position  he  holds. 

Dr.  Sidney  P.  Hilliard,  Vice-President,  is  a  large  property  owner  in  and  out 
of  Rocky  Mount,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  accomplished  dentists  in 
the  State.  A  pupil  for  several  years  of  the  celebrated  Richard  B  Winder,  Dean  of 
the  Baltimore  College  of  Dental  Surgery,  he  has  achieved  not  only  business  and 
professional  success,  but  has  a  most  desirable  clientele.  When  elected  President 
of  the  North  Carolina  Dental  Society  in  1889,  he  was  the  youngest  member  ever 
so  honored.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Dental  Examining  Board  from  1893 
to  1908,  during  which  period  of  fifteen  years  he  rendered  valuable  services  to  the 
State  and  his  profession.  He  lends  strength  to  any  enterprise  with  which  he  is 
connected. 

Dr.  G.  L.  Wimberly,  Vice-President  of  the  First  National  Bank,  is  one  of  the 
most  substantial  citizens  of  Rocky  Mount.  Enjoying  a  large  practice,  and  having 
invested  wisely  and  prudently,  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city.  His  advice  and  counsel  largely  shapes  the  policy  of  the 
bank  and  materially  adds  to  its  rapid  advancement.  He  is  the  son  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  G.  L.  Wimberley,  two  of  Edgecombe  County's  most  lovable  citizens.  Em- 
braced in  their  long  life  of  usefulness  are  many  acts  of  charity  and  kindness. 
Dr.  Wimberley  by  marriage  is  most  highly  connected,  having  married  Miss  Mary 
Bunn,  daughter  of  Hon.  and  Mrs  B.  H.  Bunn  of   Nash,    the  mention   of   whose  r.  b.  davis.  jr..  G«hi« 


81 


names  is  suggestive  of  the  highest  type  of  Southern  honor  and  chivalry.  Mrs.  Wimberley,  by  her  lovely  di 
tion  and  charming  personality,  adorns  the  home  of  the  doctor  and  has  greatly  assisted  him  in  reaching  the 
manding  position  he  holds  in  the  community. 

The  Bank's  Cashier,  Mr.  R.  B.  Davis,  Jr.,  is  a  native  of  New  Hanover 
County  and  a  member  of  a  distinguished  family,  on  his  mother's  side  largely  identi- 
fied with  the  early  development  of  the  Cape  Fear  Section.  His  father  is  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  a  prominent  Confederate  soldier,  besides  being  a  man  of  wide 
learning  and  information  Mr.  Davis  first  began  his  business  career  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad  Company,  at  Wilmington,  N.  C,  with 
which  Company  he  was  associated  when  transferred  to  a  more  important  position 
at  Rocky  Mount.  Soon  after  coming  here,  he  forsaw  the  progress  Rocky  Mount 
was  destined  to  make  and  resigned  his  position  to  enter  business  for  himself  He 
engaged  in  the  insurance  and  real  estate  business  and  became  a  leader  in  the 
insurance  life  of  Rocky  Mount.  Mr.  Davis  afterwards  accepted  a  position  as 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Company, 
a  corporation  doing  a  very  large  business  here,  and  still  later  became  Special  Agent 
for  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of  this  city,  from  which  position 
he  resigned  to  become  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank.  Mr.  Davis  has  had 
varied  experience  in  the  business  world,  and  is  unusually  well  qualified  for  his 
present  position.  No  man  in  this  community  is  more  highly  esteemed,  or  enjoys 
the  confidence  of  the  people  to  a  greater  extent.  He  is  a  member  of  the  City 
Board  of  Assessors,  and  is  perhaps  more  familiar  with  local  real  estate  values  than 
any  man  in  the  city.  Patrons  of  the  bank,  and  citizens  generally,  when  in  need  of 
information  concerning  property  values,  invariably  seek  his  counsel.  He  is  at 
present  President  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  a  member 
of  its  directorate.  No  man  in  Rocky  Mount  has  labored  more  faithfully  and  un- 
selfishly for  the  growth  of  the  city  than  he,  and  his  efforts  have  borne  good  fruit. 
Mr.  Davis'  ability,  integrity  and  business  judgment  mark  him  as  a  man  of  the 
highest  qualites.     A  few  years  ago  he  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  Lee  Bunn,    a 


sposi- 
com- 


S-  G   SILLS.  Atsistant  Cashier 


82 


daughter  of  the  IateB.  H.  Burin,  Ex-Congressman  from  this  District,  who  perhaps  had  a  wider  influence  in  Nash 
County  than  any  man  who  ever  lived  in  its  borders.  The  unprecedented  growth  of  the  First  National  Bank  is  large- 
ly due  to  Mr.  Davis'  able  management  and  the  confidence  the  public  reposes  in  him. 

Mr.  S.  G.  Sills,  Assistant  Cashier,  is  one  of  the  most  competent  accountants  in  the  city.  His  uniform  courtesy 
makes  it  a  great  pleasure  to  transact  business  with  him,  and  his  reputation  for  integrity  is  firmly  established  and  be- 
yond question.  His  father  is  the  esteemed  Clerk  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Nash  County,  and  the  name  of  Sills, 
wherever  it  is  known,  signifies  honesty  of  purpose  and  faithful  performance  of  every  trust.  Mr.  Sills  is  a  most  val- 
uable man  to  the  bank,  and  has  added  largely  to  its  friends  and  prestige. 

Benjanrn  H.  Bunn,  Bookkeeper  for  the  First  National  Bank,  is  a  young  man  of  promise  and  counts  his 
friends  by  his  acquaintances.  He  is  adding  to  the  popularity  of  the  bank  by  his  pleasing  manners  and  attention  to  the 
wants  of  its  patrons. 

Miss  Sarah  Gorham,  Stenographer,  by  efficiency  and  by  the  charm  of  person  and  manner,  is  a  valuable  assistant 
to  the  working  force  of  the  First  National  Bank. 

Hon.  T.  T.  Thome,  Attorney  for  the  First  National  Bank,  is  widely  and  favorably  known  both  at  home  and 
abroad.  The  people  of  his  city  have  honored  him  continuously  for  almost  two  decades,  and  to  every  position  of 
trust  that  he  has  been  called,  he  has  always  answered  with  the  verdict  of  "well  done  and  with  clean  hands".  Mr. 
Thorne  combines  all  of  the  qualities  of  an  able  lawyer,  a  man  of  the  highest  personal  integrity,  a  business  man  of 
pronounced  ability,  and  a  very  attractive  personality. 


83 


HON.  T.  T.  THORNE 


Lawyer,  Senator  and  Mayor 


Theophilus  T.  Thorne,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  has  been  for  twenty  years,  since  his  first  coming  to  Rocky 
Mount,  one  of  the  effective  forces  for  good  in  the  community.  Eminent  as  a  lawyer,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  bar  of 
the  Fourth  Judicial  District,  he  is  also  one  of  the  most  influential  public  leaders  of  the  city  and  county,  a  man  whom 
the  people  feel  that  they  can  trust  without  hazard,  and  who  has  ever  justified  their  faith. 

Mr.  Thorne  was  born  in  Edgecombe  county,  N.  C.  Aug.  9,  1867,  and  is  therefore  43  years  of  age  having  scarcely 
yet  reached  the  full  vigor  and  intellectual  power  of  mature  manhood.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  T.  T.  Thorne,  Sr., 
who  was  a  prominent  citizens  of  Halifax  county,  and  of  Mrs.  Mary  (Cutchin)  Thorne,  of  the  well  known  Edgecombe 
family  of  Cutchin. 

Mr.  Thorne  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  county  and  at  Whitikers  Academy.  He  studied  law  under 
his  brother,  Hon.  W.  C.  Thorne,  and  under  R.  O.  Burton,  Jr.,  one  of  the  most  gifted  lawyers  of  the  Raleigh  Bar. 
He  received  license  to  practice  law  in  the  fall  of  1889,  and  at  once  located  at  Enfield,  N.  C,  and  began  the  practice 
with  his  brother  above  referred  to.  In  1890,  Mr.  Thorne  moved  to  Battleboro,  N.  C,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
during  which  time  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  that  town.     In  1890,  he  came  to  Rocky  Mount  for  permanent  location. 

It  was  quickly  observed  by  the  public  that  he  was  a  lawyer  of  unusual  ability,  both  in  thorough  mastery  of  the 
profound  and  intricate  principles  of  the  Law,  and  as  an  advocate  at  the  bar.  And  it  was  also  seen  that  he  was  the 
sort  of  MAN  in  whom  confidence  could  safely  be  reposed.  Therefore,  he  prospered,  and  developed  and  broad- 
ened. He  soon  formed  a  partnership  with  the  well-loved  and  distinguished  Judge  Dorsey  Battle,  which  connection 
continued  until  the  election  of  Judge  Battle  in  1898  to  the  Judgeship  of  the  Eastern  Criminal  Court.  In  1896,  Mr. 
Thorne  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  the  city,  and  was  re-elected  consecutively  for  13  years, 
until  he  was  chosen  as  Mayor  of  the  city  in  May  1909.  During  12  of  the  13  years  Mr.  Thorne  served 
on  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  he  was  Mayor  Pro  Tern,  and  during  three  of  these  years,  he  was  both  Mayor 
Pro  Tern  and  City  Clerk.  In  1896,  the  year  of  the  disgraceful  Fusion  catastrophe  in  North  Carolina  Mr.  Thorne 
was  the  Democratic  Candidate  for  the  House  of  Representatives  in  Nash  county,  and  went  down  to  defeat  with  the 
balance  of  the  ticket  in  the  general  disaster.     In  1906,  the  Democratic  party  in  the   seventh   senatorial   district   com- 

84 


posed  of  Nash,  Wilson  and  Franklin  counties 
by   the   overwhelming   majority   of   over 

at  once 


HON.  T.  T.  THORNE 


nominated  Mr.  Thorne  for  the  State  Senate,  and  he  was  elected 
4200  in  the  district.  He  was  an  able  and  conscientious  representative, 
taking  high  rank  in  the  Senate.  In  1909,  as  hereinbefore  stated,  Mr. 
Thorne  was  elected  Mayor  and  Recorder  of  the  city  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  his 
administration  of  the  city  government  set  a  high  water  mark  for  clean  govern- 
ment, enforcement  of  the  law  and  general  efficiency.  He  resigned  the  Mayoralty 
upon  his  reelection  to  the  State  Senate  in  the  fall  of  1910.  In  the  Senate  of  191 1, 
it  can  safely  be  said,  that  no  Senator  stood  higher  in  the  matter  of  influence 
or  in  the  respect  and  esteem  felt  for  him  by  his  colleagues,  than  "the  hand- 
some and  silver  tongued  Senator  from  Nash,"  as  Mr.  Thorne  was  termed  by 
Senator  Long  of  Iredell.  His  committee  assignments  clearly  proved  that  he  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  very  ablest  men  in  the  Senate.  He  was  Chairman  of  the 
Committees  on  Corporation  Commission;  on  Legislative  Apportionment;  on  Rules; 
and  on  Enrolled  Bills;  four  of  the  most  important  Chairmanships,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  following  committees:  Banks  and  Currency ;  Counties,  Cities  and  Towns; 
Election  Law;  Finance;  Institutions  for  the  Blind;  Insurance;  Judiciary;  Public 
Buildings  and  Grounds;  and  on  Railroads.  As  the  important  work  of  the  session 
was  done  in  committees,  it  can  be  seen  how  far  reaching  was  the  influence  of  the 
Senator  from  Nash.  And  be  it  said  to  his  eternal  honor,  that  when  the  question 
came  up  of  voting  or  not  voting  for  an  anti-trust  law  "with  teeth,"  and  the  differ- 
ent large  interests  had  filled  Raleigh  with  a  strong  lobby  to  defeat  an  effective  bill, 
although  all  sorts  of  pressure  was  brought  to  bear,  and  "the  common  folks  at 
home"  had  no  one  there  to  look  out  for  them,  Senator  Thorne  stood  true  to  the 
people  constituting  himself  their  spokesman,  and  cast  his  vote  and  influence  for  the 
Turlington  Bill,  which  was  the  anti-trust  law  "with  teeth".  It  was  defeated  by 
two  votes,  but  not  by  the  help  of  the  Senator  from  Nash.  Thi^iSithe  sort  of  serv- 
ice the  people  do  not  forget,  and  Mr.  Thome's  fidelity  to  the  pgppie  and  his  signal 
ability,  it  is  felt  by  his  friends,  must  carry  him  still  hi^ger  in  the  public 
service.  ^- 

Mr.  Thorne  was  married  in  1892  to  Miss  Louisa   C.   Fountain,    accomplished 

85 


daughter  of  Mr.  S.  K.    Fountain  of  this  city.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thorne  have  three  intelligent  and  interesting  children; 
Spencer,  Sallie  and  Randolph. 

Mr.  Thorne  is  a  very  extensive  owner  of  Rocky  Mount  real  estate  and  besides  his  political  prominence,  is  inti- 
mately concerned  with  a  number  of  interests  and  concerns  that  are  bearing  a  large  share  in  the  progress  and  upbuild- 
ing of  the  city  and  this  section.  He  is  a  Director  and  Attorney  for  the  First  National  Bank,  a  director  of  the  Rocky 
Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools,  President 
of  the  Nash  County  Sunday  School  Association,  and  is  a  Trustee  ot  the  First  Methodist  Church  of  Rocky  Mount. 
His  large  influence,  and  the  force  of  his  strong  personality  can  always  be  counted  upon  to  be  thrown  in  favor  of  the 
things  that  contribute  to  the  religious,  political,  moral  and  industrial  good  of  his  city  and  state.  The  people  always 
know  "where  to  find"  T.  T.  Thorne,  and  it  is  this,  as  well  as  other  things,  that  accounts  for  his  wide  popularity  and 
his  strong  hold  on  the  confidence  of  the  people. 


86 


fTOartjaimt.  *wi&wi»  nf  JHr.  31.  W-  ii^inrs,  Sarkit  Jflaimt.  N.  GL 

Mr.  J.  W.  Hines,  One  of  Eastern  North  Carolina's  Most  Resourceful    Industrial  Generals.     The   Man   More   Than 
Any  Other  To  Whom   Rocky  Mount  Owes  its  Largest  Industrial  Plant 

There  have  been  few  movements  for  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of  Rocky  Mount  in  which  the  quiet  but  strong 
hand  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Hines  has  not  been  one  of  the  most  potent  forces.     There  is   no  glare  of   lights   or   sounding   of 

87 


trumpets  about  the  work  of  this  man,  but  to  those  who  have  been  associated  with  him  and  others  who  have  become 
familiar  with  his  methods,  he  is  known  as  a  hard  and  indomitable  fighter,  and  one  who  always  WINS.  Mr.  Hinesis 
a  native  of  Pittt  Co.,  N,  C.  but  removed  to  Wilson,  N.  C,  when  young  and  was  reared  there.  He  is  a  descendant 
of  the  Hines  and  Johnson  families  of  Old  Sparta,  Edgecombe  county,  N.  C.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  when  this 
city  was  a  small  village.  From  the  first,  Mr.  Hines  believed  firmly  in  the  future  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  with  the  clear 
business  insight  and  judgment  which  have  become  characteristic  of  him,  he  laid  his  plans  far  into  the  future,  and 
quietly  and  unostentatiously  worked  up  to  them. 

Possessing  the  rare  quality  of  being  able  to  wait  patiently  for  the  maturing  and  operating  of  his  plans,  and  rarely 
if  ever  making  a  mistake  in  his  judgment  of  the  direction  and  magnitude  of  the  town's  progress,  he  has  bought  and 
sold  more  real  estate  than  any  other  individual  in  the  city,  and  this  connected  with  his  large  industrial  operations,  has 
made  him  one  of  the  city's  wealthiest  citizens.  And  be  it  said  to  his  credit,  that  his  great  ability,  time  and  money, 
have  never  failed  to  be  placed  freely  at  the  service  of  Rocky  Mount,  when  necessity  has  arisen.  When  the  Rocky 
Mount  Tobacco  Market  was  in  its  infancy  and  its  success  seemed  largely  problematical,  the  support  of  Mr.  Hines  was 
a  large  factor.  At  one  time,  when  all  the  tobacco  was  being  sent  away  from  this  city  for  re-drying.  The  American 
Tobacco  Co.,  offered  to  re -dry  their  tobacco  in  Rocky  Mount  and  thus  employ  a  large  number  of  laborers,  if  they 
could  secure  a  large  prize  house  for  the  purpose.  Without  hesitation,  Mr.  Hines  stepped  down  into  the  breach  and 
built  the  prize-house,  and  also  built  the  largest  warehouse  on  this  market  at  that  time  for  the  sale  of  leaf  tobacco. 

When  the  place  of  the  location  of  the  large  A.  C.  L.  Railroad  Shops,  was  in  question,  few  people  had  any  idea 
that  Rocky  Mount  would  be  able  to  secure  them.  Mr. Hines,  comprehensively  surveying  the  situation,  thought  he 
saw  a  chance  to  secure  them  for  Rocky  Mount.  So,  quietly,  on  his  own  initiative,  he  began  taking  the  matter  up  by 
correspondence  and  by  personal  interviews  with  the  highest  officials  of  the  Railroad.  Repeated  interviews  with  the 
continual  and  persistent  presentation  by  Mr.  Hines  of  his  case,  resulted  in  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Walters,  requesting 
Mr.  Hines  to  meet  him  in  Wilmington.  When  Mr.  Hines  arrived  in  Wilmington,  he  found  that  he  had  won  his  case. 
The  plans  had  been  prepared,  a  map  showing  the  land  the  railroad  wished  to  secure  for  the  shops  was  exhibited  and 
a  definite  proposition  made  to  locate  the  shops  in  Rocky  Mount.  At  this  interview  the  matter  was  settled  and 
Mr.  Hines  came  back  to  Rocky  Mount  to  arrange  for  the  city  to  carry  out  its  share  of  the  contract  which  he  had  as- 
sured the  officers  would  be  gladly  done.  On  his  return,  he  quietly  made  the  announcement  to  a  few  astounded 
friends.  The  shops  came,  and  with  them  came  a  new  era  of  prosperity  to  the  city.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  largest 
service  ever  rendered  to  Rocky  Mount  by  an  individual,  but  so  unassuming  is  this  man  and  so  averse  to  any  kind  of 
publicity  as  to  his  work,  that  no  doubt  a  large  proportion  of  the  public  now  hears  of  the   matter   for  the   first   time. 


And  the  editors  of  this  work  wish  to  state  in  this  connection,  that  it  was  only  after  the  hardest  sort  of  persistence  that 
they  succeeded  in  getting  the  facts  from  which  they  have  written  this  article,  so  disinclined  is  Mr.  Hines  even  at  this 
late  day  to  receive  any  notoriety  in  the  matter.  But  Rocky  Mount  and  her  people  are  entitled  to  the  facts.  Another 
instance  when  the  business  judgment  of  this  man  has  inured  greatly  to  the  benefit  of  the  city,  was  in  the  purchase  of 
a  site  for  the  West  Side  Graded  School.  He  secured  a  price  of  $800.00  on  the  lot  on  which  the  building  now  stands, 
Objections  were  heard  that  the  lot  was  too  far  out.  He  strongly  urged  its  purchase.  Using  the  same  foresight  he  has 
used  in  his  private  purchases,  he  believed  that  the  lot  would  greatly  enhance  in  value;  and  this  lot  was  finally  purchased, 
and  is  easily  today  worth  $10,000.00. 

Mr.  Hines  and  the  corporate  interests  which  he  controls  have  put  more  bricks  into  brick  walls  than  any  one  else. 

Mr.  Hines  is  largely  interested  in  a  number  of  the  most  important  corporations  in  the  city,  and  has  planned  and 
worked  out  large  enterprises  with  unvarying  success  and  superb  generalship.  Well  versed  in  the  intricate  art  and  use 
of  diplomacy,  with  a  smooth,  even  temperament,  but  withal,  possessing  a  tenacity  of  purpose  that  has  become  axiomatic, 
he  is  known  as  a  fighter  to  be  feared,  and  one  who  has  never  lost  a  battle.  He  enjoys  to  the  fullest  extent,  the  im- 
plicit confidence  of  his  associates  and  of  the  entire  community  in  both  his  business  capacity  and  his  personal  integrity. 

Although  interested  in  various  other  enterprises,  his  principal  business,  and  that  with  which  he  is  most  closely 
connected  and  best  known,  is  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  ice.  Mr.  Hines  is  probably  the  largest  individual  stock- 
holder in  ice  factories  in  North  Carolina.  The  Rocky  Mount  Corporation,  The  Rocky  Mount  Ice  &  Fuel  Co.,  in 
which  Mr.  Hines  is  the  largest  stockholder  and  the  moving  spirit,  includes  among  its  stockholders  a  group  of  men 
who  represent  larger  financial  strength  than  is  represented  by  any  other  Rocky  Mount  concern. 

Associated  with  him  in  the  active  conduct  of  the  ice  business,  are  his  two  sons,  Thomas  M.  Hines,  and  J.  W. 
Hines,  Jr.  Although  these  young  men  are  only  two  years  out  of  college,  they  are  showing  the  metal  of  trained 
and  seasoned  business  men,  and  are  among  the  most  respected  and  popular  of  the  younger  business  element  of  the 
city  and  section.  Thomas  M.  Hines  is  handling  the  large  shipping  and  re-icing  business  at  the  factory  with  great 
credit  to  himself  and  the  business.  J.  W.  Hines,  Jr.,  by  his  courtesy,  promptness  and  general  efficiency,  is  giving  a 
most  satisfactory  service  to  the  public  in  the  city  delivery.  These  young  men  give  fine  promise  of  being  worthy  suc- 
cessors to  their  father  in  years  to  come. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Hines  Sr.,  besides  his  business  interests,  can  always  be  counted  on  to  give  substantial  support  to 
every  movement  looking  to  the  best  moral  and  political  interests  of  the  city.  He  is  largely  interested  in  local  church 
work,  and  has  for  three  years  been  President  of  the  North  Carolina  State  Convention  of  the  Christian  Church,  of 
which  he  is  a  member.  He  is  a  Director  and  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  one  of  the  ruling  forces  in  that  organization. 

89 


THE  BANK  OF  ROCKY  MOUNT 

Rocky  Mount's  Oldest,  Most  Noted,  and  Premier  Financial  Institution 


Here  is  presented  a  short  sketch  of  the  institution  that  has  without  doubt  been   the  most  powerful  and   usefuf 
in  the  building  of  the  lusty  and  aggressive  eastern  metropolis  that  is  the  Rocky  Mount  of  today.     This  is  the  oldest: 

90 


bank  in  the  city,  having  been  organized  Jan.  1,  1839,  and  has  steadily  grown  in  strength,  usefulness  and  power  each 
year  of  its  history,  having  behind  it,  men  who  constitute  a  large  proportion  of  the  bone  and  sinew,  brains,  progress- 
iveness  and  financial  strength  of  the  community.  These  men  are  Reeky  Mount  men,  born  and  bred,  they  and  their 
ancestors  for  generations,  and  their  stake  in  the  community  has  been  and  is  now  perhaps  greater  than  that  of  any 
other  group  of  men  represented  by  any  Rocky  Mount  organization. 

This  bank  was  first  organized  as  above  stated  in  1889,  Messrs.  Thomas  H.  Battle,  S.  E.  Westray  and  L.  F. 
Tillery  being  the  moving  spirits.  At  the  organization,  Mr.  Westray  was  elected  President,  Mr.  Battle  Vice- 
President,  and  Mr.  Tillery  Cashier,  Mr.  Battle  being  then  as  he  is  now,  the  active  manager.  Rocky  Mount  in  that 
day  was  a  small  village  of  a  few  hundred  people,  and  the  launching  of  a  bank  was  quite  an  event  and  something  of  a 
venture.  But  the  bank  prospered  from  the  beginning.  Five  years  after  its  organization,  Mr.  Westray,  who  was 
one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens  of  the  community,  died  and  Mr.  Battle  was  elected  President  in  his  stead.  Mr.  Westray 's 
stock  in  the  bank  was  purchased  by  Mr.  R.  H.  Ricks,  (who  was  then  elected  Vice-President  to  fill  the  place  made 
vacant  by  Mr.  Battle's  election  as  President)  and  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Ruffin,  who  was  at  that  time  connected  with  The 
Rocky  Mount  Mills.  The  capital  of  the  bank  in  the  beginning  was  $25,000.00.  This  has  been  increased  from  time 
to  time,  as  its  needs  and  the  needs  of  the  town  for  financial  accommodation  have  grown  larger,  until  now  it  has  a 
capital  of  $100,000.00,  and  undivided  profits  of  $60,000.00. 

The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  ever  since  its  organization,  has  led  where  matters  that  would  benefit  the  city  have 
been  in  question,  and  has  never  hesitated  to  back  up  with  the  necessary  funds  every  sane  movement  for  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  community.  One  case  in  point  is  that  of  the  tobacco  market,  now  grown  to  be  one  of  the  largest  employers 
of  labor  and  producers  of  wealth  in  the  cky,  employing  in  one  capacity  or  another,  people  who  are  the  support  of 
perhaps  20  to  25  per  cent  of  the  population  of  the  city.  The  establishment  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Tobacco  Market,  the 
first  in  Eastern  North  Carolina,  was  considered  a  good  deal  of  a  risk.  But  the  officers  of  this  bank  after  fully  inves- 
tigating the  situation  and  the  conditions,  were  persuaded  that  the  culture  and  production  of  tobacco  in  this  sec- 
tion was  bound  to  become  in  time  a  great  industry,  and  arriving  at  this  conclusion,  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  with 
the  decision,  and  the  confidence  in  the  city  which  it  has  always  shown,  did  not  hesitate  to  furnish  the  necessary  finan- 
cial assistance  through  several  years  of  varying  success  in  the  industry,  to  place  the  market  firmly  on  its  feet.  It  is 
not  overstating  the  proposition  to  say  that  Mr.  Battle  and  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  are  responsible  for  the  success 
of  the  market,  as  they  are  responsible  for  a  number  of  other  things  which  have  been  strong  elements  in  the  city's  de- 
velopment. Beginning  business  when  the  city  was  a  country  village,  the  growth  and  success  of  this  bank  and  the 
growth  and  progress  of  the  city,  have  been  so  interwoven,  and  their  interests  and  movements  have  been  so   joined, 

91 


that  it  is  difficult  to  think  of  one  without  thinking  of  the  other.  The  people  have  come  to  feel  about  The  Bank  of 
Rocky  Mount  much  as  they  feel  about  the  postoffice,  as  a  public  institution  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  the  people's 
bank,  and  the  Rocky  Mount  Bank  in  the  broadest  meaning. 

THE  HEAD  OF  THE  BANK. 

The  commanding  and  powerful  position  attained  by  this  bank  in  the  financial  circles  of  this  city  and  section,  and 
the  magnitude  of  the  work  it  has  wrought  could  not  be  accounted  for  on  any  other  hypothesis  than  that  at  its  head, 
guiding  its  fortunes,  and  directing  its  policies,  must  have  been  a  strong  and  resourceful  industrial  captain,  not  only  a 
man  of  great  business  ability,  but  a  man  of  broad  views  and  sympathies  who  commanded  the  respect  of  the  whole 
community,  and  knew  how  to  gather  about  him  and  manage  the  right  sort  of  men. 

And  so  it  has  been.  The  president  of  the  bank  is  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Battle,  who  has  been  its  active  manager  since 
its  birth.     This  fact  would  alone  explain  the  bank's  success  and  usefulness  to  the  thousands  who  know  this  man. 

It  might  be  said  of  Mr.  Battle  that  he  is  a  great  business  general,  successful  in  everything  to  which  he  has  put 
his  hand— that  would  be  true;  it  might  be  said  that  he  has  been  the  greatest  individual  force  in  the  building  of  the  city 
and  in  the  giving  to  it  of  the  cleanest  and  wisest  municipal  government  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  which  any  town 
in  the  state  can  boast — that  would  be  true;  it  might  be  said  of  him  that  he  is  a  public  leader  in  whom  every  man,  woman 
and  child  in  the  city  has  the  fullest  confidence  and  who  has  never  led  them  except  to  their  best  interests— that  would 
be  true;  but  the  rare  quality  which  the  people  rightly  attribute  to  Mr.  Battle  and  which  he  has  ever  justified,  we 
believe  to  be  finer  than  all,  and  the  Editors  of  this  work  find  pleasure  in  the  privilege  of  giving  it  expression  here: 
"That  Mr.  Battle  is  a  man  who  regards  his  word  when  given  as  meant  to  be  kept,  not  only  to  the  mere  letter  but  to 
the  fullest  meaning  that  was  in  contemplation,  who  scorns  and  hates  all  subterfuges,  who  knows  no  way  of  meeting 
an  issue  save  straight  from  the  shoulder  and  face  to  face,  and  who,  whether  he  holds  the  advantage  or  not,  disre- 
gards it  to  do  plain  and  simple  justice." 

Mr.  Battle  comes  of  distinguished  ancestry.  He  was  born  in  Raleigh  in  1860,  his  father  being  Dr.  Kemp  P. 
Battle,  ex-State  Treasurer  and  ex-President  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  whose  name  is  a  household  word 
in  this  State  and  a  synonym  for  high  purpose,  great  ability  and  stainless  worth.  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Battle's  grandfather 
was  the  able  and  gifted  Judge  William  H.  Battle,  for  many  years  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  North 
Carolina. 

Mr.  T.  H.  Battle  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Raleigh  and  at  the  State  University  at  Chapel  Hill.  He  studied 
law  under  Dr.  John  Manning,  graduating  in  1882  and  receiving  his  license  to  practice  law  from  the  Supreme  Court 

92 


the  same  yean  He  iocated  in  Tarboro  at  once,  and  within  two  weeks  was  elected  Solicitor  cf  the  Inferior  Court  of 
the  county.  Remaining  in  Tarboro  a  year  and  a  half,  he  then  removed  to  Rocky  Mount.  On  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
J;  H.  Ruffin  from  the  position  of  Treasurer  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills,  Mr.  Battle  (who  was  then  President)  was 
elected  to  succeed  him,  and  has  been  since,  and  is  now,  the  active  manager  of  that  noted  concern.  His  duties  at  the 
mills,  together  with  his  duties  as  President  of  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  and  his  interests  elsewhere,  forced  him  to 
give  up  the  practice  of  law. 

Since  that  time,  Mr.  Battle's  influence  and  business  connections  have  grown  wider  and  wider,  his  extraordinary 
capacity  for  Work  and  management  permitting  him  to  increase  his  responsibilities  to  an  extent  that  seems  appalling, 
but  which  he  has  ever  easily  and  capably  carried;  and  there  has  never  been  a  moment  when  all  the  influence  and 
resources  at  his  command  were  not  at  the  service  of  Rocky  Mount  when  occasion  arose. 

To  give  one  instance  of  many  that  show  the  generosity  and  fine  public  spirit  of  this  man,  it  might  be  related  that 
at  one  time  When  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools  were  in  urgent  need  of  a  large  sum,  (about  $1,600.00)  to  finish 
one  of  the  present  school  buildings,  Mr.  Battle  contributed  from  his  own  pocket  half  the  amount  necessary,  giving 
$800  to  this  purpose,  the  other  half  being  contributed  by  Mr.  R.  H.  Ricks,  Vice-President  of  this  Bank.  As  Chairman 
of  the  Graded  School  Board  for  many  years  it  can  be  said  without  question  that  Mr.  Battle  has  done  more  for  the 
educational  interests  of  the  city  than  any  other  citizen.  It  is  a  work  that  is  close  to  his  heart,  and  he  has  retained 
this  post  because  of  his  devotion  to  the  public  school  cause,  after  declining  continued  honors  in  the  municipal  govern- 
ment. Full  details  of  Mr.  Battle's  eminent  public  service  can  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills 
elsewhere  in  the  book  (of  which  mills  he  is  Treasurer  and  Manager)  and  to  which  reference  is  made. 

Mr.  Battle  was  first  married  to  Miss  Bettie  Davis,  of  Wilson,  aud  from  this  union  he  has  one  son,  Mr.  Kemp  D. 
Battle,  Attorney  at  Law,  and  graduate  of  the  State  University.  Mr.  Battle  was  married  asecond  time  in  1895  to  Miss 
Sallie  Hyman.  and  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  living,  have  blest  his  last  marriage.  Mr.  Battle  is  not  a  member 
of  any  fraternal  organization,  and  finds  his  greatest  pleasure  in  his  ideal  home  life  with  his  gifted  wife  and  intelligent 
and  lovable  children.     He  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  Rocky  Mount. 

VICE-PRESIDENT  R.  H.  RICKS, 

Mr.  R.  H.  Ricks  is  Vice-President  of  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  his  name  and  ability  make  up  one  of  the 
substantial  elements  of  its  success.  A  full  story  of  the  life  of  this  soldier-hero,  legislator  and  resourceful  financier, 
can  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  book.     We  will  attempt  no  sketch  here. 

93 


THOS.   H.    BATTLE,   President 


S.  L.  ARRINGTON,  Vice-President 


J.  R.  BENNETT,  Cashier 


94 


VICE-PRESIDENT  SAMUEL  L.  ARRINGTON. 


Mr  S  L.  Arrington  was  born  at  Hilliardston,  in  Nash  County,  March  11,  1860,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Hon  A. 
H.  Arrington,  who,  in  his  day  and  generation,  was  the  most  prominent  and  influential  man  in  Nash  ^ounty  and  in- 
deed in  this  section  of  the  State,  having  represented  his  district  in  the  U.  S.  Congress  and  later  in  the  Confederate 
Congress.  His  mother  was  before  marriage  Miss  Kate  Wimberly,  daughter  of  the  late  R.  D.  Wimberly  of  fcdge- 
combe  County,  whose  descendants  are  still  prominent  in  Edgecombe  County  and  the  State. 

Mr  Arrington  while  a  mere  youth,  gentle,  modest  and  unostentatious  as  he  was,  showed  marked  evidences  or 
business  tact  and  ability,  and  as  years  passed  by  it  was  found  that  he  had  made  few  mistakes  that  his  )udgment  in 
all  his  business  affairs  was  good  and  as  a  result  of  his  cool  deliberation  and  financial  ability,  he  has  amassed  large 
landed  estates  both  in  North  Carolina  and  in  Alabama,  beside  having  other  large  business  interests  which  are  prot- 

Mr  Arrington  has  never  married.  He  has  lived  in  Rocky  Mount  since  1882.  He  has  never  had  or  sought  any 
political  office,  though  often  giving  his  time  freely  and  effectively  to  his  friends  who  stood  tor  omce. 

Mr.  Arrington  and  the  late  John  H.  Hunter  were  strong  personal  friends  and  at  his  death  many  years  ago  Mr 
Hunter  devised  his  most  valued  possession,  his  batchelor  home  near  town,  to  his  friend,  who  preserves  it  and  Keeps 
it  always  ready  for  occupancy  for  himself  and  his  friends  when  the  city  becomes  oppressive  to  them  He  is  presi- 
dent of  and  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  Arrington-Bissette  Co.,  a  very  large  mercantile  business  in  Nashville,  which 
owns  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Farmers  Oil  Company  of  Nashville;  is  Vice-President  of  The  Bank  otKocky 
Mount  in  which  he  has  been  a  director  for  many  years;  is  a  director  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Saving  &  1  rust  Lo  and 
is  as  considerate  and  polite  to  the  small  boy  who  wants  to  raise  ten  cents  to  help  him  get  a  base  ball  bat,  as  he  is  to 
the  prosperous  man  who  wants  to  borrow  a  thousand  or  ten  thousand  dollars. 

MR.  J.  R.  BENNETT,  CASHIER. 

Mr.  J.  R.  Bennett,  the  competent  and  courteous  young  Cashier  of  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  is  largely  a 
product  of  the  bank  having  been  employed  there  since  he  was  17  years  eld,  in  1903.  Mr.  Battle  bel eves iin  the ,  tank 
promoting  its  own  employees  to  the  responsible  positions  when  they  show  the  proper  merit,  and  the  case  or  Mr 
Bennett  is  an  instance  of  this  policy.  Mr.  Bennett  is  now  but  24  years  old,  having  been  born  Oct.  9.  1886  n  Warren 
County     His  father  moved  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1890  when  young  Bennett  was  four  years  old.     Mr.  Bennett  received 


95 


his  education  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools,  and  first  came  to  the  bank  in  1903  as  Collector.  From  that  posi- 
tion, he  has  by  ability,  close  application,  and  unremitting  loyalty  worked  his  way  steadily  up  to  the  responsible  and 
prominent  position  lie  now  occupies.  It  is  a  big  thing  for  so  young  a  man,  but  Mr.  Bennett  performs  his  duties  and 
carries  his  responsibilities  well,  possessing  the  full  confidence  of  his  superiors  and  of  the  public  at  large. 

The  Assistant  Cashier  is  Mr.  W.  G.  Robbins,  who  also  performs  with  great  satisfaction  to  the  bank  the  duties  of 
bookkeeper,  which  require  much  ability  and  great  accuracy.  Mr.  Robbins  is  also  a  young  Rocky  Mount  man  who 
is  deservingly  winning  his  spurs  in  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount.  Mr.  Norman  Bennett  is  Collector,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  city,  tactfully  and  efficiently  looking  after  his  work  but  at  the  same  time  is  uniformly  courteous  to  the  pub- 
lic. He  makes  a  third  of  the  trio  of  young  men  who  under  the  guidance  and  advice  of  Mr.  Battle  are  being  qualified 
for  the  highest  duties  of  business  and  citizenship.  The  stenographer  of  this  bank  is  Miss  Lena  Redmond  aud  her 
work  in  her  line  measures  up  to  the  high  standard  which  the  bank  maintains  in  each  of  its  departments. 

In  closing  it  might  be  said,  that  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  numbers  its  friends  and  patrons  among  the  Wealthy 
and  the  poor,  and  in  every  walk  of  life.  The  small  depositor  receives  the  same  courteous  consideration,  that  the 
larger  depositors  receive.  And  the  character  and  ability  of  the  officers  and  directors  are  such  as  to  make  every  man 
who  puts  a  dollar  in  this  bank  feel  absolutely  assured  that  his  money  is  not  only  perfectly  safe,  but  is  receiving  the 
maximum  of  care,  efficiency  and  ability  known  to  the  banking  business. 

The  Board  of  Directors  of  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  is  as  follows: 

Thomas  H.  Battle  (President)  R.  H.  Ricks  (President  Rocky  Mount  Mills)  G.  T.  Matthews  (Head  of  Matthews, 
Weeks  &  Co.,  Wholesale  Grocers)  J.  P.  Whitehead  (Physician)  George  J.  Hales  (Head  of  Geo.  J.  Hales  &  Bro., 
Wholesale  Grocers)  L.  V.  Bassett  (Attorney  at  Law)  T.  J.  Hackney  (of  Hackney  Bros.,  Buggy  and  Wagon  Manufact- 
urers) A  P.  Thorpe  (of  Thorp  &  Ricks,  Leaf  Tobacco  Dealers)  S.  L.  Arrington  (of  The  Arrington-Bissett  Co.,  of 
Nashville)  D.  J.  Rose  (Contractor)  E.  G.  Muse,  Durham  N.  C.  (Manager  Sales  Department  for  N.  C.  of  Virginia- 
Carolina  Chemical  Co.) 


Qa 


ROCKY  MOUNT  HOSIERY  COMPANY. 


This  is  one  of  Rocky  Mount's  important  manufacturing  concerns.     The  factory,  a  cut  of  which  is  shown  here, 
is  in  the  western  portion  of  the  city,  on  the  Nashville  branch  of  the  A.  C.    L.  R.   R.     Tne  Rocky  Mount  Hosiery 

Company  was  organized  in 
1904,  and  has  been  uni- 
formly and  largely  success- 
ful. They  have  now  in 
operation  214  machines, 
employing  200  hands,  with 
a  capacity  of  800  dozen  pair 
per  day,  the  capacity  of  the 
plant  having  been  increased 
fifty  per  cent,  last  year. 
The  pay  roll  amounts  to 
$3,000.00  per  month.  A 
good  class  of  labor  is  em- 
ployed, and  few  industries 
in  the  town  are  of  more 
actual  benefit  to  the  busi- 
ness life  of  the  city.     This 

mill  together  with  the  Enfield  Hosiery  Mills,  also  owns  the  controlling  interest  in  the  Littleton,  (N.  C.)  Hosiery  Mill, 
and'the  manager  of  this  mill,  Mr.  Geo.  T.  Andrews,  operates  in  addition,  the  Enfield,  (N.  C.)  Hosiery  Mill.  The 
Rocky  Mount  factory  has  a  complete  dyeing  and  finishing  plant.  The  combined  capacity  of  the  three  mills  is  2,000 
dozen  pair  per  day.  The  manufactured  product  has  always  found  a  ready  market  because  of  the  high  merit 
of  the  goods  The  President  and  Treasurer  of  the  company  is  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell  (President  of  The  Planters  Bank), 
the  Vice-President  is  Mr.  Geo.  S.  Edwards  (of  Geo.  S.  Edwards  &  Co.,  Wholesale  Grocers),  and  Mr.  Geo.  T. 
Andrews  is  Secretary  and  Manager.  Mr.  Andrews  is  a  man  of  long  experience  in  the  business,  and  the  successful 
record  he  has  made  in  the  management  of  this  mill  is  ample  proof  that  he  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place. 

97 


W.  D.  &  C.  A.  COCHRAN. 

Largest  Clothing,  Gents'  Furnishings  and  Shoe  Store  on  the  Atlantic  Coast 

Line  Between  Richmond  and  Charleston. 

The  large  clothing  store  of  Messrs.  W.  D.  &  C.  A.  Cochran,  on  Main  Street,  is  one  of  the  show  places  in  Rocky 
Mount.  As  indicated  in  the  headlines,  these  gentlemen  carry  the  largest  stock  of  clothing,  gents'  furnishings  and 
shoes  to  be  found  anywhere  on  the  Coast  Line  between  Richmond,  Va.,  and  Charleston,  S.  C,  the  value  of  the 
stock  carried  being  approximately  $50,000.00.  Their  store  is  artistically  arranged— double-decked,  airy  and  well 
lighted— and  they  occupy  something  like  9,000  square  feet  of  floor  space  in  their  sales  rooms.  While  trying  to  have 
goods  for  every  class  of  trade,  their  specialty  is  the  better  and  higher  class  of  goods,  and  so  well  known  has  this  fact 
become  over  Rocky  Mount  and  a  wide  surrounding  territory,  that  the  very  fact  of  goods  having  been  purchased  at 
Cochran's  has  come  to  mean  that  they  are  of  the  best  grade.  It  has  been  the  policy  of  this  store  to  sell  on  small 
profits,  backing  this  up  with  economy  and  the  highest  class  of  system  and  business  management,  so  that  the  benefit 
of  the  saving  could  go  to  the  store's  customers,  and  yet  an  average  profit  accrue  to  the  business.  This  is  one  of  the 
facts  that  account  for  the  wide  popularity  and  enviable  reputation  of  this  business, 

The  senior  member  of  the  firm,  Mr.  W.  D.  Cochran,  is  known  as  one  of  the  city's  very  ablest  business  men,  a 
man  whose  integrity  has  always  been  above  question,  and  who  has  won  the  respect  of  this  whole  section  by  his 
eminently  good  business  judgment,  square  dealings  and  his  clean  character.  Mr.  Cochran  is  a  native  of  Halifax 
County,  N.  C,  was  born  January  13,  1856,  and  lived  on  the  farm  until  after  his  majority.  He  spent  some  time  in 
the  mercantile  business  as  salesman  in  Weldon,  Oxford,  and  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Traveling  over  most  of  the 
great  West  in  search  of  a  business  location,  he  finally  returned  to  North  Carolina  and  came  to  Rocky  Mount,  fore- 
seeing well  the  great  future  of  this  city.  He  established  his  business  here  in  1894,  and  his  record  in  Rocky  Mount 
has  been  a  continued  growth  in  success,  influence  and  in  the  respect  of  the  community  for  him  as  a  wise  and  sane 
business  man  and  a  very  useful  citizen.  The  large  business  he  has  built  here  is  alone  a  sufficient  testimonial  to  the 
fact  that  he  possesses  extraordinary  business  generalship  and  fine  judgment.  Mr.  Cochran  was  married  April  30, 
1896,  to  Miss  Virginia  Morecock,  charming  daughter  of  Capt.  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Morecock,  of  Halifax  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cochran  have  two  children. 

98 


Interior  View  of  W.  D.  &  C.  A.  Cochran's  Store. 


99 


The  junior  member  of  this  firm  is  Mr.  Charles  A  Cochran,  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  popular  ot  the  city  s 
younger  business  element,  and  a  nephew  of  Mr.  W.  D.  Cochran.  Mr.  Charles  A  Cochran  was  born  in  Weldon, 
NC  December  20  1875.  He  spent  his  youth  in  Virginia,  to  which  State  his  father  moved  about  1884.  He  was 
connected  for  about  seven  years  with  a  mercantile  business  in   Emporia,  Va„  coming  to  Rocky  Mount  as  salesman 

f°r  ^C^^JSp^^ofAt  of  the  city  with  his  capacity  for  business  and  with  the  further  fact  that  he  is 
a  man  n  whom  trust  and  confidence  may  be  reposed  with  full  safety  By  his  uniform  courtesy  good  fellowship 
honorable  life  and  conduct,  he  has  become  very  popular,  not  only  in  business  and  soca  circles  of  the  city ,  but 
amone  neoDle  in  every  wa  k  of  life.  He  became  a  partner  in  the  business  in  the  Spring  of  9  0,  earning  his  success 
dv  forcePofhis  ow  aMiTy honesty  and  industry.  Mr.  Cochran  was  married  June  30th,  910  to  Miss  Mary  Scot 
Bulluck  of  Enfield,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  R.  Bulluck  of  that  town.  Mrs.  Cochran  is  a  lady  of  many  graces 
and  accomplishments,  and  makes  a  valuable  addition  to  the  social  life  of  the  city. 

The  large  brick  building  now  occupied  and  owned  by  this  firm  was  built  in  1896,  made  necessary  by  the  rapid 
and  substantial  growth  of  the  business,  and  no  concern  in  the  city  has  better  quarters 

In  closing  it  should  be  noted  that  one  of  the  potent  elements  in  the  success  of  this  business  has  been  that  every 
customer  of  theirs  has  come  to  feel  that  he  can,  with  entire  safety,  trust  implicitly  in  whatever  representations  are 
made™  him  by  either  of  the  proprietors  or  their  salesmen.  It  has  always  been  a  cardinal  principle  of  this  house 
mat  every  customer  must  know  exactly  what  he  is   buying,  and   even  the  slightest  misrepresentation  would  not  be 

^Asli  conseque^c?: of  this  principle,  uniformly  practiced,    this  firm  sell  clothing  to  customers  living  all  the  way 
from  Richmond  to  Augusta. 


100 


WILKINSON,  BULLUCK  &  CO. 

One  of  the  City's  Largest  and  Most  Important  Organizations. 

Conduct  insurance,  Real  Estate  and  Rental  Business. 

Have  General  Agency  for  Three  Fire  Insurance 

Companies. 

In  writing  of  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Co.,  there  is  nothing  stronger  than  a  bare  statement  of  facts  to  prove  what 
this  business  has  accomplished  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  community  in  which  they  are  ocated  Truly  itcan  be  said 
of  the  above  firm  that  the  bare  relation  of  what  it  has  done  to  assist  in  the  upbuilding  of  Rocky  Mount  ne eds  no  em- 
bellishment The  last  census  published  by  the  United  States  Government  proved  by  the  actua  figures  that  Kocky 
Mount  grew  more  in  proportion  than  any  other  city  in  the  State,  a  full  relation  of  which  is  given  elsewhere  m  this 
book.  The  connection  it  has  with  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Company  is  that  the  industrial  progress  of  Rocky  Mount 
in  the  last  ten  years  has  been  thoroughly  interwoven  with  the  accomplishments  of  the  above jwmed  firm.  Hardly 
any  movement  of  a  public  or  industrial  nature  has  been  started  in  Rocky  Mount  during  the  time  named  but  that  it 
has  received  at  least  a  strong  support  from  this  firm.  .  mim   ..  m1,ct  h_  „„ 

At  the  head  of  any  successful  business  can  always  be  found  the  brain  of  one  individual;  of  course  he  must  be  as- 
sisted by  able  lieutenants.  The  guiding  hand  of  the  firm  of  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Company hasbeen  and  isst  .1 
centered  in  the  person  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson.  No  one  individual  has  been  more  concerned  in  the  advancement  ot 
the  cSsremarkaSe  industrial  progress  than  the  individual  named.  The  amount  of  work  that  this  man  accomphshes 
is  not  generally  known;  those  who  have  opportunity  of  realizing  it  wonder  how  he  really  does  it  The  solution  lies 
in  the   fact   of   his  remarkable    executive   ability,     and  he    enjoys   at  the    present  time    not  only    the    unbounded 


101 


confidence  of  this  entire  community,  but  his  work  has  been  of  sufficient  scope  to  make  him  recognized  as  second  to 
no  man  in  the  insurance  business  in  North  Carolina.  His  business  ability  and  absolute  integrity,  not  only  in  fulfilling 
the  letter  of  his  obligations,  but  in  the  spirit  of  fair  dealings  between  man  and  man,  has  gained  for  him  the  confidence 
of  a  large  circle  of  strong  business  men  over  the  entire  State.  In  the  course  of  his  work  in  Rocky  Mount  he  has 
come  in  contact  with  not  only  business  men  in  the  insurance  line,  but  in  nearly  all  lines  of  business  and  the  directory 
of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company  bears  strong  testimony  of  the  confidence  and  esteem  in  which  he  is  held 
by  business  men,  not  only  in  his  home  community,  hut  in  other  cities,  for  really  it  was  an  attestation  of  their  confi- 
dence in  his  ability  as  an  insurance  man  and  his  integrity  as  a  business  man,  that  these  directors  and  other  stock- 
holders in  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company  gave  in  putting  their  money  in  this  enterprise. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  was  born  in  Tarboro,  Sept.  4th,  1866,  being  the  son  of  Mr.  F.  S.  Wilkinson,  one  of  the  State's 
most  noted  educators.  (Mr.  F.  S.  Wilkinson  has  always  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  thorough  in  his  work  and  he 
inculcated  this  spirit  in  the  training  of  his  son.)  After  preparation  for  a  higher  course  under  his  father,  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son attended  the  State  University  and  graduated  at  that  institution  in  1887.  Recognizing  the  possibilities  of  this  city, 
he  moved  here  in  1894  and  became  a  local  agent  in  the  fire  insurance  and  real  estate  business.  Although 
at  that  time  the  field  was  small  and  the  contest  for  business  sharp,  by  sheer  ability  and  work  Mr.  Wilkinson  gained  a 
strong  nucleus  for  a  prosperous  business,  and  in  1901  the  firm  of  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Company  was  formed,  con- 
sisting of  Mr.  J.  D.  Bulluck  and  Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson,  as  managers  with  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell  as  a  third 
partner.  This  firm  was  incorporated  in  1902.  After  several  years  successful  business  the  interest  of  Mr.  Bulluck 
was  purchased  by  Mrs.  Wilkinson,  as  Mr.  Bulluck  desired  to  engage  in  other  lines  of  business.  As  a  strong  busi- 
ness had  been  established,  it  was  decided  to  retain  the  firm  name,  but  for  the  past  seven  years  Mr.  Wilkinson  has 
been  the  active  manager  of  the  business,  and  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell,  one  of  the  city's  strongest  financiers,  of  whom 
mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  book,  his  strong  business  partner  and  associate. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  was  married  in  1891  to  Miss  Lula  Wimberley,  daughter  of  Mr.  G.  L.  Wimberley,  which  name 
stands  among  the  very  most  prominent  in  this  part  of  the  State.  They  have  six  children  and  live  in  one  of  the 
handsomest  residences  in  the  city  on  the  Falls  Road  (which  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  residential  sections  of  the 
city).     A  picture  of  Mr.  Wilkinson's  home  appears  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

The  firm  of  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Company  has  shown  a  remarkable  increase  every  year  since  its  formation 
until  today  it  does  one  of  the  largest  insurance,  real  estate  and  rental  agency  businesses  of  any  firm  in  this 'State. 

Ever  since  the  formation  of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company  Mr.  Wilkinson  has  been  general  agent. 
In  1908  the  Seaboard  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of  Norfolk,  Va.,  entering  North  Carolina,  placed  their  general  agency 

102 


with  him.    In  April,  1910, the  Atlantic  National  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of  Macon,  Ga.,    entering  the  State,  made 
the  third  company  for  which  Mr.  Wilkinson  is  general  agent. 

On  account  of  growth  of  business,  in  1909,  Mr.  Geo.  A.  Wilkinson,  a  brother  of  the  person  of  this  sketch,  who 
was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  in  Tarboro,  was  secured  as  special  agent  for  the  three  companies  named,  and 
has  been  extremely  successful  in  getting  a  desirable  line  of  business  for  these  companies.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
charming  personality,  knows  the  business  thoroughly,  and  thereby  secures  favorable  consideration  from  local  agents 
all  over  the  State.  ,  „  ,  .    ,      , 

Mr  W  S  Wilkinson  is  one  of  the  most  versatile  men  with  whom  the  editors  of  this  book  ever  came  in  contact. 
Not  only  is  he  versatile,  but  he  is  efficient  and  thorough  in  all  that  he  undertakes.  As  an  evidence  of  appreciation  of  his 
ability  we  will  cite  the  fact  that  he  was  elected  County  Superintendent  of  Education  of  Nash  County  after  he  had  been  a 
native  of  the  County  for  only  a  few  months.  This  position  Mr.  Wilkinson  held  continuously  for  10  years  until  he 
was  forced  to  resign  on  account  of  it  being  necessary  for  him  to  give  his  attention  to  details  of  other  interests.  How- 
ever he  is  today  Chairman  of  the  County  Board  of  Education,  and  is  still  actively  interested  in  the  progress  of  edu- 
cation in  Nash  County.  A  sketch  of  Nash  County's  public  schools  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  book,  which  shows 
that  Nash  County  has  not  been  backward  in  educational  progress,  and  this  has  been  due  largely  to 
the  active  and  untiring  work  of  Mr.  Wilkinson.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Rocky  Mount 
Graded  Schools.  He  is  an  expert  mathematician,  and  when  county  conventions  are  held  where  rapid  clerical  count 
is  needed,  it  has  been  almost  invariably  the  rule  for  Mr.  Wilkinson  to  be  selected  as  secretary.  Mr.  Wilkinson  is 
Secretary  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Road  Commission,  and  one  of  the  five  members  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  He  was 
largely  instrumental  in  having  a  special  bill  passed  which  gave  the  country  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles  of  Rocky 
Mount  an  opportunity  to  improve  her  roads,  and  he  has  been  an  active  factor  ever  since  in  the  work  of  road  im- 
provement. It  has  often  been  said  that  education  and  good  roads  go  hand  in  hand,  and  Mr.  Wilkinson  recognizing 
this,  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  both.  He  is  also  Treasurer  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  funds,  and  actively  asi?lst^d  ln 
the  raising  of  the  $5,000.00  which  the  citizens  of  Rocky  Mount  contributed  to  equip  the  $50,000.00  Y.  M  L.  A. 
building,  which  is  now  in  the  course  of  erection  in  our  city.  Mr.  Wilkinson  is  a  Director  of  the  Planters  Bank,  and 
Rocky  Mount  Hosiery  Company,  and  a  member  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  both  institutions.  In  starting  this  arti- 
cle it  was  stated  that  the  industrial  progress  of  Rocky  Mount  was  interwoven  with  the  history  of  the  persons  of  this 
sketch  and  as  the  facts  are  related  the  statement  is  absolutely  borne  out.  It  seems  remarkable  that  one  man  can  be 
concerned  in  so  many  enterprises  and  successful  in  all;  but  this  is  due  largely  in  the  present  instance  to  the  truly 
remarkable  ability  that  he  possesses  to  choose  and  to  train  able  and  capable  assistants. 

103 


It  would  be  impossible  to  carry  on  the  immense  business  transacted  by  this  firm  unless  they  had  an  able  and 
thoroughly  trained  corps  of  assistants.     Every  one  of  their  employees  are  highly  efficient  and  capable. 

Miss  Lucy  C.  Thorpe,  one  of  the  city's  most  charming  and  popular  young  ladies,  accepted  a  position  with  this 
firm  nine  years  ago,  and  has  been  with  them  without  a  break  continuously  since  that  time.  Through  long  experience 
she  has  become  rapid  and  expert  in  the  details  of  the  insurance  business,  and  the  number  of  policies  that  she  has 
written  would  run  up  into  the  tens  of  thousands.  Unquestionably  Miss  Thorpe  is  one  of  the  most  competent  assis- 
tants in  the  insurance  business  in  the  State.  She  was  stenographer  for  the  firm  until  the  business  grew  to  such  an 
extent  that  it  now  takes  practically  her  entire  time  writing  policies.  _ 

Mr  Paul  Gorham  is  in  charge  of  the  rental  department,  and  he  also  has  been  with  the  business  nine  years.  He 
has  under  his  management  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest,  rental  business  in  the  State.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
energy  and  strong  character,  and  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  him. 

Mr  C  W.  Coghillhas  been  with  the  firm  four  years.  His  preliminary  training  admirably  equipped  him  tor  the 
responsible  duties  that  he  now  discharges.  He  started  his  business  career  as  an  office  boy  in  the  Bank  of  Rocky 
Mount  He  remained  with  this  institution  eight  years,  enjoying  their  implicit  trust.  He  resigned  the  position  as  as- 
sistant cashier  in  this  bank  in  order  to  establish  for  himself  an  insurance  business,  but  very  soon  after  entering  this 
line  of  work  he  received  an  attractive  offer  from  his  present  firm,  as  their  bookkeeper.  He  is  not  only  considered 
one  of  the  most  expert  accountants  in  the  State,  but  he  also  possesses  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  the 
insurance  business.  He  possesses  the  confidence  of  his  firm  to  such  an  extent  that  he  is  entrusted  with  large  responsi- 
bilities. He  is  conscientious  in  his  work,  and  is  always  on  the  lookout  for  the  mutual  protection  of  all  parties  con- 
cerned in  the  transaction  of  business  with  his  firm. 

Owing  to  the  growth  of  this  firm's  business,  about  a  year  ago  Miss  Etta  Lancaster  was  employed  as  private 
stenographer  for  Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson,  and  to  assist  in  the  other  work  of  the  office.  In  keeing  with  the  rest  of  the 
assistants  in  this  office,  she  is  rapid  and  efficient. 


104 


UNDERWRITERS  FIRE  INSURANCE  COMPANY 

OF  ROCKY  MOUNT 

Organized,  Owned  and  Operated  by  Home  People,  and  Eminently  Success- 
ful.    Every  Year  Shows  Gratifying  Gains 

The  organization  of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Rocky  Mount  is  a  strong  testimonial  of  the 
capability  and  spirit  of  progress  possessed  by  the  business  men  of  this  city,  and  especially  so  by  those  responsible  for 
the  organization  of  this  Company,  which  has  been  of  such  an  immense  advantage  to  the  city's  industrial  life. 

During  the  year  1905,  Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson,  and  his  business  associates  recognizing  that  the  time  was  propi- 
tious for  the  organizing  of  a  company  that  would  bring  home  some  of  the  revenue  paid  for  insurance,  undertook  this 
enterprise.  These  men  guaranteed  the  stock,  and  the  work  of  interesting  a  large  number  of  the  business  men  of  the 
city  and  adjacent  territory  was  undertaken.  In  a  remarkably  short  time  the  amount  of  $51,500.00  capital,  and  $12,- 
875.00  surplus  was  subscribed  and  the  Company  organized.  Dr.  M.  R.  Braswell  was  elected  president,  Mr.  T.  J. 
Hackney,  vice  president;  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell,  treasurer,  and  Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson,  secretary.  A  strong  board  of  di- 
rectors was  selected  from  the  stockholders.  Since  that  time  the  Company  has  been  eminently  successful,  so  much 
so,  that  at  each  time  for  the  selection  of  officers  there  has  been  no  change  from  those  originally  selected.  Also  the 
Board  of  Directors,  with  a  few  exceptions,  has  remained  the  same.  At  the  present  time  the  following  compose  the 
Board  of  Directors,  all  known  as  successful  business  men:  Messrs.  W.  L.  Sherrod,  Geo.  B.  Curtis,  and  S.  G.  Bellamy, 
of  Enfield,  N.  C,  Dr.  J.  C.  Braswell,  Mr.  J.  M.  Sherrod,  Mr.  W.  T.  Braswell,  and  Dr.  R.  H.  Speight,  of  Whita- 
kers,  N.  C;  Messrs.  J.  B.  Philips,  H.  B.  Bryant,  M.  C.  Braswell,  and  Dr.  H.  B.  Marriott,  of  Battleboro,  N.  C, 
Dr.  J.  P.Wimberley  and  Mr.  Frank  Shields  of  Scotland  Neck,  N.C.,Mr.  S.  F.  Austin  of  Nashville,  N.C.,  Messrs.  W.  D. 
Hackney  and  W.  L.  Banks  of  Wilson,  N.  C,  Dr.  W.  P.  Mercer  and  Mr.  R.  S.  Wells  of  Elm  City,  N.  C,  Mr.  J.  D 
Bulluck,  of  Leachville,  N.  C,  and  Messrs.  F.  C.  Ferguson,  T.  J.  Hackney,  J.  C.  Braswell,  G.  S.  Edwards,  D.  J. 
Rose  and  Drs.  M.  R.  Braswell  and  G.  L.  Wimberley,  of  Rocky  Mount,  N.  C. 

105 


DR.  M.  R.  BRASWELL,  Pres'dent 


T.  J.  HACKNEY,  Viee-Piesidenl 


W.  S,  WILKINSON/  Secretary 


106 


.  The  company  Was  organized  as  stated  with  the  purpose  in  view  of  trying  to  keep  at  home  some  of  the  tremen- 
dous volume  of  money  that  has  always  been  sent  away  for  insurance  purposes,  and  it  was  decided  to  do  business  only 
in  North  Carolina.  Besides  the  business  men  interested  in  the  Company  from  Rocky  Mount,  there  have  been  a  large 
number  interested  in  other  cities  and  towns  in  the  Stale.  The  result  has  shown  that  our  people  are  patriotic,  have 
faith  in  home  brains  and  ability,  and  recognize  the  good  business  policy  of  keeping  money  at  home  so  that  they  may 
reap  some  of  the  benefits  thereby.  The  plan  of  operation  of  the  Company  is  ideal,  it  being  so  constituted  as  to  show, 
it  would  seem  absolute  and  perfect  safety  in  the  handling  of  -  its  business.  The  Executive  Committee  consists  of 
Messrs.  T.  J.  Hackney,  Geo.  S.  Edwards,  J.  C.  Braswell,  Dr.  Geo.  L.  Wimberley  and  Dr.  M.  R.  Braswell,  and 
meets  every  month  for  the  purpose  of  investing  the  funds  and  examining  the  affairs  of  the  Company.  The  Direc- 
tors meet  every  six  months  and  a  thorough  examination  of  the  condition  of  the  Company  is  made.  By  this  method 
all  the  transactions  of  the  Company  are  quickly  brought  under  the  observation  of  a  large  number  of  fine  business 
men.  One  reason  for  the  gratifying  success  of  this  Company  is  the  great  care  that  is  taken  in  the  selection  of  risks. 
A  great  deal  of  consideration  was  given  the  matter  before  the  selection  of  the  officers  of  the  Company,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence, no  Company  could  be  more  fortunate  in  that  respect,  for  all  four  of  the  officers  are  men  who  have 
achieved  success  by  their  own  efforts  and  ability.  The  officers  and  Directors  are  not  mere  figureheads,  as  is  the  case 
in  instances  of  some  organizations  that  make  a  bid  for  public  faith,  but  are  men  who  realize  their  responsibilities,  and 
strive  at  all  times  to  properly  discharge  them. 

'1  he  president  Dr^JVl.  R.  Braswell,  is  a  man  recognized  as  one  of  our  foremost  business  men,  a  man  well  quali- 
fied for  the  position  that  he  holds."~TTe  is  one  of  three  sons  of  the  late  loved  and  lamented  T.  P.  Braswell.  His 
father  was  an  eminently  successful  and  beloved  man,  and  the  three  children  that  he  left  received  an  early  training 
under  his  guidance  that  well  qualified  them  for  business  careers.  It  is  not  amiss  to  here  state  that  all  have  made 
well  use  of  their  talents,  and  opportunities,  and  have  given  at  all  times  their  time  and  money  on  a  broad  plane  for 
the  advancement  of  the  community  in  which  they  have  lived.  Dr.  Braswell  was  educated  and  trained  for  a  physi- 
cian, in  which  profession  he  was  absolutely  successful;  but  his  business  affairs  grew  to  such  a  large  extent  that  he'  felt 
that 'he  did  not  want  to  continue  the  practice  of  his  profession  unless  he  could  give  it  his  undivided  time  and  atten- 
tion, and  recognizing  his  respons-'bilities  as  a  large  planter  and  property  owner,  and  director  of  numerous  enterprises, 
he  recently  retired  from  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  received  his  education  at  Bingham,  Wake  Forest,  the 
University  of  N.  C,  and  the  University  of  Maryland.  He  was  married  in  1894  to  Miss  Mamie  Hackney,  the  beauti- 
ful and  cultured  daughter  of  Mr.  T.  J.  Hackney.  They  have  two  bright  and  intelligent  children,  Mamie  and  Emily. 
His  wife  being  the  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  J.  Hackney,  Dr.  Braswell  and  his  family  have  their  home  with  her 

107 


fe  «,h\rh  i<  the  most  handsome  and  expensive  residence  in  Rocky  Mount,  and  which  would  be  a  credit  to  any 
parents  which  is  the most  hana  so  me  «™|  P  b       f  th     it  >s  industries,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  practi- 

Clt,T  '"  ™ Sindustrv  that  Sheen  gotten  up  for  the  furtherance  of  the  city's  progress.  He  is  vice  president  of  the 
^k^l^S^&Blta"&Sdto  hisP  efforts  is  due  the  fact  in  a  large  measure,  that  the  Rocky  Mount  Hosiery 
Co  waf  organized  an  institution  that  has  been  successful  from  a  financial  point  of  view  ,n  itself,  and  of  great  value 
tn  the  pitv  in  the  wav  of  paying  wages  to  go  towards  making  the  city  larger 

The Underwriter -Fire "insurance  Company  was  fortunate  in  their  selection  of  him  as  >ts  president.  Of  Mr.  j. 
r   RrJirfi  treasurer  and  Mr.  W.  S.  Wilkinson,  Secretary,  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

From  he  firs  year  of  the  organization  of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Rocky  Mount  the  bus.- 
npw FhTbeeS  successful  and  gratifying  from  every  point  of  view.  The  Company  has  paid  since  its  formation,  losses 
of  ?16  560  00  and 1  dividends  to  its  stockholders  of  $12,360.00,  and  in  addition  to  this  a  handsome  surplus  has  been 
kid  aside  each  year  The  growth  of  the  Company  can  best  be  determined  by  a  comparison  of  its  first  annual  state- 
menrD^mberSst,  1906,  and  its  last  annual  statement,   December  31st.,  1910,  as  follows: 

Reserve  surplus.  Assets. 

December  31st.,  1906        $4,898  62  $13  743.49  $70,142.11 

TVrember31st     1910      $5,996.79  $22,253.60  $91, 83/. 83  t,m/VMnn 

The  insurance  fn  force  at  the  end  of  the  first  year  was  $436,046.00    Insurance  now  in  force  is  $1  593  066.00. 

irWS  Wlkinsons  the  General  Agent  of  the  Company,  and  has  been  since  its  formation.  The  business  of 
the  Company is  nowTn  the  offices  of  Messrs.  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Co.,  who  have  large  and   commod.ous  quarters 

ln  thft  K nltur'aUawtr  afy  business  enterprise  to  select  from  the  men  available  those  best  qualified  for  the  pOsi- 
,.„/'  V  iy  the selection  of  the  Vice  President  of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company,  they  were  in- 

deed ortunateln  be^g  able  to  secure  such  a  well  trained  business  man  as  Mr  T.  j   Hackney.  Like  father,  like  son 
?«  an  nfi  reneated  assertion  and  in  this  instance  the  truth  of  the    assertion  is  fully  borne  out.    In  writing  of  Rocky 
m       t  2ta  SE'rnade  of  Mr  W   N.  Hackney,  the  father  of  Mr.  T.  J.  Hackney,  for  the  former  left  an  im- 
M° ""  Innn  th?s  nart  of  t^  Mr-    W'    N-    Hackney    now  deceased, 

^lJMXPc<SnKj«i2SrSS     He  learned  the  trade  of  a  wheelright,  and  located  in  Wilson,    N.    C 
m  the  m    1853     He  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  carts,  and  from  this  enterprise  sprang  the  immense 
business  nowwell  and  most  favorably  known  over  many  States,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hackney  Bros.     Mr.  T.   J. 
Hackney  ?he  eldest  son,  moved  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1874,  and  opened  a  branch  business  under  the  firm  name  of  T. 

108 


J  Hackney  &  Co.,  his  father  being  the  Company.  When  Mr.  T.  J.  Hackney's  brother,  Mr.  George  Hackney,  be- 
came of  age,  the  father's  interest  in  the  Rocky  Mount  branch  was  bought  by  the  youngest  son,  and  in  1878,  the  bus- 
iness in  this  city  was  changed  to  the  firm  name  of  Hackney  Bros.  In  1884,  the  health  of  the  father  became  in  such 
a  condition  that  he  was  forced  to  retire  from  business,  and  Mr.  George  Hackney  left  Rocky  Mount  for  Wilson  to  take 
active  charge  of  the  business  there.  The  three  sons  of  Mr.  W.  N.  Hackney,  consisting  of  the  two  named,  and  Mr. 
W.  D.  Hackney,  bought  the  business  at  Wilson  from  their  father,  and  an  equal  copartnership  was  formed  among 
the  three  able  and  energetic  business  men  for  the  operation  of  the  businesses  at  Rocky  Mount  and  Wilson.  Their 
training  and  ability  was  such  as  to  advance  the  scope  and  size  of  the  business  until  today  a  Hackney  vehicle  is 
synonymous  with  excellency,  enjoying  an  enviable  reputation  over  many  states.  The  plant  at  Rocky  Mount  was 
burned  in  1890  and  it  was  decided  not  to  rebuild  at  this  point,  but  to  enlarge  their  faciliiies  at  Wilson.  As  the  firm 
had  secured  large  property  interests  in  this  city,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  are  at  the  present  time  largely  interested  in 
property,  and  industries  here,  it  was  decided  that  though  they  would  not  rebuild  their  vehicle  factory  here,  they 
would  go  into  the  hardware  business,  and  Mr.  T.  J.  Hackney  took  the  active  management  of  this  business,  which, 
as  has  every  business  in  which  the  Hackney  Bros,  have  been  concerned,  was  successful  from  the  beginning.  On  ac- 
count of  his  health,  Mr.  T.  J.  Hackney  decided  a  few  years  ago  to  give  up  the  exacting  duties  connected  with  the 
conducting  of  the  hardware  business  here,  and  the  business  was  sold  to  Mr.  R.  R.  Gay  and  Mr.  R.W.  Arnngton,  and 
is  now  known  under  the  firm  name  of  Gay  &  Arrington.  Mr.  Hackney  not  only  has  been  known  as  a  successful 
business  man,  but  has  always  given  of  his  time  and  money  to  assist  worthy  causes  and  enterprises,  and  is  a  man  th  it 
has  always  been  recognized  as  of  the  strictest  integrity. 

Mr  Hackney  was  married  November  1877  to  Miss  Josephine  Hammond.  From  this  union  there  was  one  child, 
Mamie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  M.  R.  Braswell.  As  previously  stated  in  this  book,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hackney  and  their 
daughter  and  her  husband,  and  two  bright  and  interesting  grand  daughters,  have  their  home  together  in  the  hand- 
somest residence  of  which  the  city  can  boast. 

It  will  be  observed  from  the  description  of  the  Directors  and  Officers  of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany, that  they  have  men,  not  only  of  wealth  and  sterling  character,  but  that  are  of  tried  and  proven  business  ability, 
which  makes  the  assurance  of  the  continued  success  of  this  Company. 


109 


RESIDENCE  OF  MR.  W.  S.  WILKINSON 


110 


BRASWELL  &  LEVY— Leaf  Tobacco  Dealers. 

This  firm  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  favorably  known  in  North  Carolina.  They  handled  during  the  season  of 
1910-11,  approximately  4,000,000  lbs.  of  tobacco.  They  have  factories  in  Rocky  Mount,  and  in  Frankfort,  Ky., 
maintaining  buyers  also  on  both  markets.  The  combined  capacity  of  their  two  factories  is  80,000  lbs.  per  day.  They 
have  installed  in  both  their  factories,  the  latest  improved  steam  drying  machines  with  both  apron  and  stick  attachments. 

The  business  was 
founded  in  1892  by 
Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell,so 
prominent  now  in 
banking  and  financial 
circles,  who  conduct- 
ed it  until  1899,  when 
he  took  in  as  a  partner 
the  lamented  Lewis 
C.  Levy,  (who  died 
Feb'.25,1911),andMr. 
Levy  became  activ  e 
manager,  Mr.  Bras- 
well  exercising  a  gen- 
eral supervision.  The 
business  wasuniform- 

ly  successful,  Mr.  Levy  being  one  of  the  very  ablest  tobacco  men  who  have  ever  operated  in  North  Carolina,  in  whom 
every  man  who  ever  came  in  touch  with  him  had  implicit  faith.  He  gave  his  life  to  this  business,  and  was  one  of 
the  greatest  forces  in  making  the  Rocky  Mount  Tobacco  Market  what  it  is  today.  His  associates  wish  to  testify  here 
that  it  was  largely  his  unremitting  energy,  loyalty  and  ability  that  have  given  this  firm  its  high  stand  in  the  tobacco 
world.  Mr.  Levy  and  this  firm  numbered  and  do  number  now,  among  their  customers,  valued  connections  in 
England,  Holland,  Germany,  Japan  and  other  countries,  together  with  a  large  domestic  trade.  They  now  have  a 
Very  large  stock  of  tobacco  on  hand,  of  the  various  grades,  both  burley  and  bright.  Mr.  Braswell  will  continue  to 
look  after  the  business  this  season,  and  will  probably  take  into  the  firm  a  new  partner  next  season. 

Ill 


BATTLE  &  LANCASTER 

The  Largest  and  Most  Complete  Furniture  Store  in  Eastern  North  Carolina 

The  rapid  and  substantial  growth  of  Rocky  Mount's  mammoth  house  furnishing  concern,  the  firm   of  Battle  & 

Lancaster,  has  been  one  of  the  most  marked  incidents 
in  the  history  of  the  city  during  the  past  two  years. 
This  firm,  as  it  is  now  constituted,  was  formed  in  July 
1909,  not  quite  two  years  ago.  The  present  magni- 
tude and  great  extent  of  their  business,  together  with 
their  high  financial  standing,  tells  an  eloquent  story, 
both  of  the  advantages  of  the  city  of  Rocky  Mount  as 
a  business  center  and  of  the  splendid  ability  and 
energy  of  the  two  men  who  compose  this  firm. 

Battle  &  Lancaster  are  located  on  Washington 
street  and  now  occupy  six  floors  with  20,000  square 
feet  of  floor  space.  They  buy  their  goods  in  solid 
car  loads,  and  besides  their  local  trade,  they  cover 
with  their  salesman  practically  all  the  small  towns 
from  Weldon  to  Spring  Hope.  They  are  now  pre- 
pared to  take  care  of  all  out  of  town  business  in  a 
satisfactory  manner  and  are  rapidly  extending  and 
widening  their  field. 

It  has  been  the  policy  of  this  concern  to  endeavor 
to  carry  in  stock  every  article  that  would  be  needed 
in  equiping  the  most  modern  home.  In  this  connec- 
tion it  might  be  stated  here  that  so  far  as  we  know, 
Battle  &  Lancaster  are  the  only  furniture  house  in 
eastern  North  Carolina  who    can  furnish   an   up-to- 


INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  BATTLE  &  LANCASTER'S  STORE 


112 


date  home  complete,  all  the  way  from  a  magnificent  kitchen  range  to  an  artistic  high  grade  piano.  Their  leading 
piano  is  the  famous  Lester  which,  as  everybody  knows,  is  the  last  word  in  art,  durability  and  tone  quality  in  the 
piano  world.  They  also  handle  the  Cote  which  is  a  really  high  grade  instrument,  but  a  less  costly  make,  and  are  also 
the  local  agents  for  the  Farrand  Cecilian  Player.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  great  proportions  which  their  piano  bus- 
iness has  assumed,  we  will  state  that  in  their  piano  display  room  they  rarely  have   less  than   a   car  load   of   pianos. 

They  unquestionably  do  the  piano  business  of  the  city. 
This  firm  has  just  accepted  the  agency  for  the  well 
known  Buck  stoves  and  ranges,  the  leading  cooking 
stoves  of  the  country,  which  are  now  recommended 
by  all  the  labor  organizations. 

In  the  furniture  line,  this  house  carries  only  the 
best  quality,  and  yet  their  business  is  so  large  and  their 
system  and  management  so  efficient  and  economical, 
that  they  are  enabled  to  give  their  customers  the 
advantage  of  the  minimum  price  and  still  have  a 
reasonable  profit  accrue  to  the  business. 

During  the  past  year  the  capacity  and  the  sales  of 
this  concern  have  actually  doubled,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  utmost  care  and  conservatism  is 
always  the  rule  where  business  extension  is  in  question. 
They  employ  at  present  eight  capable  and  hustling 
salesmen,  who  are  every  day  rendering  the  firm  of 
Battle  &  Lancaster  more  popular  and  better  known 
to  the  public. 

One  of  the  strongest  elements  perhaps  in  the  large 
success  of  this  firm  ft  the  fact  that  they  have  been 
liberal  users  of  newspaper  advertising  space,  believing 
in  the  policy  of  letting  the  public  know  it  when  they 
have  a  good  thing.  And  the  results  have  abundantly 
justified  this  course. 

113 


INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  BATTLE  &  LANCASTER'S  STORE 


GASTON  BATTLE 


The  members  of  this  firm  are  Mr.  Gaston 
Battle  and  Captain  W.  R.  Lancaster,  both  of 
whom  are  Rock  Mount  men,  born  and  bred, 
and  are  members  of  two  of  the  oldest  and  most 
prominent  Edgecombe  county  families.  Mr. 
Battle  is  a  lineal  descendentof  Elisha  Battle,  who 
came  to  Edgecombe  in  1742,  and  was  President 
of  the  North  Carolina  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, which  ratified  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States.  Captain  Lancaster  is  at  present  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  the  city  of 
Rocky  Mount  and  one  of  the  most  prominent 
members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church.  Both  Mr. 
Battle  and  Captain  Lancaster  are  men  who  have 
made  their  mark  in  the  business  world  and 
who  have  the  full  confidence  of  the  city,  both  in 
their  business  capacity  and  their  personal  integ- 
rity. They  are  both  yet  comparatively  young 
men,  Mr.  Battle  having  been  born  in  1871  and 
Captain  Lancaster  in  1874;  and  having  already  a 
record  of  such  worthful  achievement,  the  future 
must  hold  splendid  possibilities  for  them,  and 
for  Rocky  Mount  in  their  contribution  to  the 
progress  of  the  city. 


W.  R  LANCASTER 


114 


MORITZ  VON  MILGROM 


MOR1TZ  VON  MILGROM 

Woodruff  Jewelry  Store  in  this  city  as  optometrist  and  manager. 


A  Leading  Jeweler  and  Optometrist 

This  jewelry  store  is  scarcely  yet  one  year  old,  but  so  efficient  has  been  its 
management,  coupled  with  such  square  dealings,  and  fair  and  courteous  treatment 
of  the  public,  that  it  has  already  won  an  enviable  patronage  among  the  highest 
class  of  the  trade,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  jewelry  stores  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  The  stock  of  solid  gold  and  silverware,  cut  glass  and  everything 
in  the  jewelry  line  carried  by  this  store  is  one  of  the  most  complete  and  up-to- 
date  to  be  found  anywhere  in  a  city  the  size  of  Rocky  Mount.  Mr.  von  Milgrom 
also  does  a  considerable  jewelry  manufacturing  business,  making  a  specialty  of  re- 
modeling old  jewelry— something  that  is  not  done  elsewhere,  this  side  of  Baltimore. 

The  proprietor  of  the  store,  Mr.  von  Milgrom,  is  one  of  the  most  expert  and 
reliable  jewelers  in  the  city,  thoroughly  conversant  with  every  detail  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  possessing  splendid  business  qualities.  He  is  a  native  of  Dresden,  the 
Capital  city  of  Saxony,  Germany,  having  been  born  there  September  22,  1884. 
Mr.  von  Milgrom  is  a  descendant  of  an  old  and  noble  German  house,  his  father, 
D.  L.  von  Milgrom,  having  been  a  Major  in  the  Prussian  Army  with  a  brilliant 
record  in  the  Austrian-Prussian  War  of  1866. 

Mr.  von  Milgrom  was  educated  at  the  University  of  Dresden  and  at  the  Im- 
perial Military  School  at  Vienna.  He  came  to  America,  landing  in  New  York  Sep- 
tember 2,  1901.  From  New  York,  he  went  to  Washington,  N.  C.,  embarking 
there  in  the  jewelry  business,  being  a  partner  in  the  Washington  Jewelry  Com- 
pany. He  moved  to  Windsor,  N.  C,  in  1904,  conducting  a  jewelry  business  also 
in  that  town.     He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in   1906,   accepting  a  position  with  the 

He  went  into  business  for  himself,   opening  his 


115 


INTERIOR  VIEW  VON  MILGROM'S  STORE 


present  store  April  1,  1910,  and  as  stated  before,  has 
built  up  a  large  and  desirable  patronage  in  the  short 
space  of  one  year. 

For  general  beauty,  neatness  and  artistic  arrange- 
ment of  stock  and  sales  room,  his  store  is  not  surpassed 
in  the  state. 

Mr.  Milgrom  is,  in  addition,  a  graduate  optometrist, 
licensed  by  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and  conducts  a 
general  optical  business,  keeping  a  full  supply  of  the 
highest  class  goods  in  that  line.  He  is  regarded  as  a 
thoroughly  competent  and  reliable  eye  specialist,  and  is 
widely  consulted  and  patronized. 

Mr.  von  Milgrom  was  married  June  15,  1909,  to 
Miss  Mary  Hester  Marriott,  beautiful  and  accomplished 
daughter  of  Dr.  H.  B.  Marriott,  of  Battleboro,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  this  section 
of  the  state. 

Mr.  von  Milgrom  is  not  only  popular  in  business 
circles,  but  he  and  Mrs.  von  Milgrom  have  made  quite  a 
valuable  and  welcome  addition  to  the  social  life  of  the  city. 


116 


MR.  EDGAR  W.  SMITH 


Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Tobacco  Board  of  Trade 
of  Rocky    Mount,    and    Local    Manager  for  the 
Imperial  Tobacco  Company,  Ltd.,  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland 


There  are  a  few  more  useful  citizens  in  Rocky  Mount  than  Mr.  Edgar  W. 
Smith,  and  none  who  are  more  public-spirited  and  who  are  held  in  higher  esteem 
by  their  acquaintances.  Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Danville,  Va.  in  1865,  and  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city.  He  was  Deputy  Clerk  of  Hustings  Court  for 
several  years  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business  there,  being  connected 
with  one  of  the  largest  concerns  in  the  South.  On  the  opening  of  the  tobacco  market 
in  Eastern  Carolina  he  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1891  and  established  the  business  of 
leaf  tobacco  buying  under  the  firm  name  of  E.  W.  Smith  &  Co.  He  built  up  the 
business  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1900  it  was  necessary  to  build  a  new  factory. 
This  was  equipped  with  steam  and  the  latest  improved  methods  of  drying  and 
handling  the  leaf  for  domestic  and  export  trade.  Mr.  Smith  then  formed  a  co- 
partnership with  Pemberton  &  Penn  and  J.  P.  Taylor  &  Co.,  under  the  firm 
name  of  E.  W.  Smith  &  Co.,  and  bought  largely  for  prominent  manufacturers  of 
America  and  England,  as  well  as  for  the  Japanese  Government.  Upon  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Imperial  Tobacco  Company  he  sold  his  plant  to  them  and  accepted  a 
position  as  Buyer  and  Manager  of  their  Rocky  Mount   branch,  a  position  he  has 

retained  ever  since  and  has  filled  with  signal  ability,  and  satisfaction  both  to  the  company  and  to  the  tobacco  industry 

of  this  section. 

117 


EDGAR  W.  SMITH 


Mr.  Smith  was  President  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Board  of  Trade  for 
several  terms,  and  is  now  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Board,  which 
position  he  has  held  for  the  past  ten  years.  Mr.  Smith  is  recognized  all 
over  the  tobacco  section  as  one  of  the  very  ablest  tobacco  men  whoever 
operated  on  this  market,  and  also  as  a  man  with  a  high  sense  of  honor, 
whose  integrity  has  always  been  above  question.  He  is  deeply  alive  to 
the  interests  and  welfare  of  Rocky  Mount  and  is  ever  active  in  the  pro- 
motion of  anything  for  its  good.  He  has  served  with  conspicuous  abil- 
ity as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  Chairman  of  the  Water- 


RESIDENCE  OF  MR    E.  W.   SMITH 

works  and  Sewerage  Committees  and  as  a 
member  of  other  prominent  Committees.  He 
was  among  the  first  to  advocate  an  issue  of 
bonds  for  public  improvements  and  has 
recently  started  a  movement  to  issue  $50,000 
in  bonds  for  street  improvement  purposes. 

Besides  his  tobacco  interests,  Mr.  Smith 
is  a  Director  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Homestead 
&  Loan  Association  and  is  interested  in  several 
other  enterprises  of  the  city. 


RESIDENCE  CF  MR.  W,  D    CCCHRAN 


118 


RESIDENCE  OF   MR>  T  J.  HACKNEY 


119 


ROBERT  E.  RANSON 


ROBERT  E.   RANSON 


Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Nash  County 

Robert  E.  Ranson  was  born  in  1879  at  Huntersville,  Mecklenburg  Co.,  N.  C. 
He  is  a  son  of  R.  M.  and  Agnes  A.  (Sample)  Ranson.  He  was  prepared  for  college 
in  Huntersville  High  School,  and  after  four  years  at  Erskine  College,  Due 
West,  S.  C,  was  graduated  in  1901,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  After  leaving  col- 
lege he  was  a  teacher  until  elected  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Nash 
County  July,  1909.  He  taught  in  S.  C,  Ark.,  Fla.  and  N.  C,  and  during  the 
vacation  months  did  newspaper  work.  While  Principal  of  the  Spring  Hope 
Graded  School  in  1908,  he  started  the  Spring  Hope  Leader,  and  was  its  editor 
for  18  months.  Since  coming  t:  Nash  County,  Mr.  Ranson  has  been  correspond- 
ent for  a  number  of  daily  papers  and  has  kept  Nash  County  well  advertised  to 
the  outside  public.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  f  Jr.  O.  U.  A.  M.  and  a  Presby- 
terian. He  married  Miss  Bryte  Baker,  a  charming  lady  of  Kings  Mountain,  N. 
C,  in  June,  1910.  Mrs.  Ranson  is  a  graduate  of  Elizabeth  College,  Charlotte, 
N.  C,  and  during  the  year  1909-10  was  principal  of  the  Kings  Mountain  Graded 
School.  She  also  taught  music  and  expression  for  two  years,  and  has  given  a 
number  of  readings  in  different  places  in  the  county  during  the  present  year. 

Mr.  Ranson's  school  work  in  Nash  County  has  been  efficient  and  forceful. 
He  is  especially  interested  in  the  increase  of  Special  School  Tax  Districts  ii)  Nash, 
and  has  been  largely  instrumental  in  the  fine  showing  the  county  has  rn^de  the 
past  two  yeirs,  not  alone  in  this  respect,  but  in  others.  He  resides  at  Nashville, 
the  county  seat. 


120 


HONORABLE  L.  V.  BASSETT 


Lawyer,  Senator,  Now  and  for  the  Past  Twenty  Years 

A  Leader  of  the  Invincible  and  Triumphant 

Democracy  of  Old  Edgecombe 

For  more  than  a  score  of  years  past  the  fighting  qualities  and  the  uncon- 
querable strength  of  the  Edgecombe  county  Democracy  have  been  a  chief  re- 
liance in  every  political  battle  that  has  been  fought  in  North  Carolina.  The  fine 
personnel  of  the  organization  in  this  county  has  during  this  period  developed  a 
small  coterie  of  leaders  of  unusual  ability  and  sterling  qualities  of  manhood  and 
leadership,  whose  voices  have  carried  great  weight  in  the  councils  of  the  party 
in  North  Carolina.  One  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  these  leaders  was  the  late 
loved  and  lamented  Don  Gilliam,  whose  name  was  a  household  word  in  every 
white  home  in  Edgecombe  county  and  indeed,  in  all  this  section  of  the  state  and 
whose  untimely  death  was  a  matter  of  deep  state-wide  regret. 

Another  of  these  leaders,  and  a  close  friend  and  associate  of  Mr.  Gilliam's, 
is  Hon.  L.  V.  Bassett,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  In  every  political  battle  that 
has  been  waged  in  Edgecombe  for  the  past  two  decades,  L.  V.  Bassett  has  been 
where  the  fight  w&s  thickest  and  hottest,  a  leader  whom  the  people  trusted  and 
under  whose  generalship  they  fought  with  pride  and  confidence.  The  Tarboro 
Southerner  just  after  the  adjournment  of  the  1911  legislature,  in  which  Mr. 
Bassett  was  Edgecombe's  Senator,  accurately  voiced  the  sentiment  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  county  when  it  printed  editorially  the  following:  "This  writer  has 
known  Lucius  Bassett  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  our  early  acquaintance  we  were  impressed  with  his 
sincerity  of  purpose  and  loyalty  to  his  friends,  a  loyalty  that  counted  not  the  cost.     The  years   have   only   intensified 

121 


HON.  LUCIUS  V.  BASSETT 


that  impression,  and  these  qualities  are  the  ones  that  have  brought  him  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  Senators.  He^ 
like  the  rest  of  us,  makes  mistakes,  but  they  are  always  of  the  head,  not  of  the  heart." 

Lucius  Virginius  Bassett  was  born  in  Tarboro,  N.  C,  March  2nd  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  W.  A.  and  Chloe 
(Miller)  Bassett.  He  read  law  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill,  and  located  in  Rocky  Mount  for  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  While  having  been  actively  engaged  in  politics  all  the  time,  in  his  business  and  profess- 
ional affairs,  he  has  regarded  the  Law  as  a  very  jealous  mistress  and  has  freely  given  to  her  his  full  allegiance  and 
service  at  all  times. 

Possessing  in  all  respects  the  ideal  legal  mind,  and  re-inforcing  this  with  tireless  energy  and  his  natural  high 
sense  of  honor,  and  pride  in  the  profound  principles  and  great  traditions  of  his  profession,  he  has  won  a  command- 
ing position  among  the  most  eminent  members  of  the  Bar  of  Eastern  North  Carolina.  He  is  at  present  Attorney  for 
the  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  and  also  a  prominent  director  of  that  institution,  which  is  the  oldest  and  most  noted  finan- 
cial institution  in  the  city;  he  is  Attorney  for  the  Rocky  Mount  Mills,  the  largest  manufacturing  institution  in  the  city; 
Attorney  for  the  Rocky  Mount  Homestead  and  Loan  Association,  the  oldest  concern  of  its  class  in  the  city;  and  en- 
joys a  large  and  lucrative  practice  among  people  in  every  walk  of  life.  He  was  Attorney  for  the  Board  of  County 
Commissioners  of  Edgecombe  for  six  years  and  surrendered  this  position  when  elected  to  the  Senate  of  1903.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Boad  of  Elections  for  Edgecombe  from  its  creation  in  1899  until  his  first  election  to  the 
Senate,  and  was  Chairman  of  this  Board  during  eight  of  the   ten  years  he  was  a  member. 

To  find  the  beginning  of  Senator  Bassett's  splendid  party  service,  one  must  needs  go  back  to  the  year  1892, 
twenty  years  ago,  when  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Central  Executive  Committee,  which  had  in 
charge  the  campaign  of  that  year  in  Edgecombe,  this  being  the  year  of  a  magnificent  Democratic  victory,  not  only  in 
Edgecombe,  but  in  North  Carolina  and  the  nation,  Grover  Cleveland  being  elected  President  for  the  second  time, 
and  Elias  Carr  Governor  of  North  Carolina.  Ever  since  that  time  Senator  Bassett  has  been  growing  in  ability,  use- 
fulness and  in  the  respect  and  admiration  felt  for  him  by  all  the  people  of  the  county  and  this  section.  During  recent 
years,  his  reputation  has  become  State-wide,  as  a  safe  and  useful  legislator  and  a  sane  and  effective  leader  in  the 
Senate  of  North  Carolina.  Elected  to  the  Senate  the  first  time  in  1903,  Mr.  Bassett  at  once  took  rank  as  one  of  the 
really  big  men  in  that  body,  a  man  whose  views  were  always  profoundly  considered,  and  whose  opinions"  when  ex- 
pressed were  always  potent  in  the  deliberations  of  the  Chamber.  Re-elected  in  1910,  Senator  Bassett's  influence  in 
the  Senate  of  1911  was  an  accentuation  of  his  prominence  in  the  previous  Senate,  and  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  potential  of  the  group  of  Democratic  leaders  who  shaped  the  important  legislation  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
191 L     He  was  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Caucus  of  the  Senate  and   was  also   Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Joint 

122 


Caucus  of  the  Senate  and  the  House,  this  position  carrying  with  it  the  formal  leadership  of  the  legislature.  It  is  a 
very  unusual  occurrence  for  any  one  Senator  to  receive  the  honor  of  both  these  Chairmanships.  Senator  Bassett 
was  also  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Revisal,  and  a  member  of  the  Judiciary  Committee;  of  the  Committee 
on  Appropriations,  and  on  Finance,  the  next  two  ranking  Committees  of  the  Senate;  of  the  Committees  on  Counties, 
Cities  and  Towns;  Legislative  Appointment;  Constitutional  Amendments;  Insurance;  and  of  the  Conference  Com- 
mittee on  the  part  of  the  Senate  to  censiderand  adjust  the  differences  between  the  two  Houses  as  to  the  provisions  of 
the  Revenue  and  Machinery  Acts.  Senator  Bassett  was  also  Chairman  of  the  Calendar  Committee.  This  is  a  posi- 
tion of  the  very  greatest  responsibility,  in  that  it  is  the  province  of  this  committee  (and  most  of  the  work  devolves  upon 
the  Chairman)  to  sift  the  wheat  from  the  chaff  in  the  last  days  of  the  legislature,  when  it  is  too  late  to  refer  the  hund- 
reds of  bills  awaiting  passage,  to  the  various  Committees  in  regular  order.  The  stamp  of  approval  or  disapproval 
put  upon  any  bill  by  the  Calendar  Committee,  at  this  stage  almost  invariably  means  the  life  or  death  of  such  bill.  It 
is  a  splendid  tribute  to  the  great  respect  and  regard  in  which  Senator  Bassett  was  held  by  his  colleagues  in  the  Sen- 
ate, that  he  was  made  Chairman  of  this  powerful  committee;  for  none  but  the  most  trusted  and  capable  leaders  ever 
receive  this  honor. 

The  Editors  of  this  Work  and  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  and  Edgecombe  county  take  pride  in  presenting  here 
something  of  the  record  of  Edgecombe's  Senator;  for  the  admiration  the  people  have  for  his  splendid  ability,  is  only 
equalled  by  their  respect  and  regard  for  the  man  himself,  for  his  clean  and  upright  character,  and  for  the 
fidelity  and  efficiency  with  which  he  has  met  every  trust  that  has  ever  been  reposed  in  him,  and  has  discharged  every 
civic  duty  that  has  ever  devolved  upon  him. 

Senator  Bassett  is  ah  influential  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and  an  active  force  in  local  Sunday  School 
work,  performing  diligently  and  faithfully,  the  full  duties  of  true  manhood  and  fine  citizenship.  His  forceful  person- 
ality is  enlisted  in  favor  of  every  proper  cause,  as  it  is  given  him  to  see  it 


123 


BULLUCK,  PHILIPS  &  COMPANY 

Rocky  Mount's  Leading  Furniture  and  Undertaking  House 

No  business  concern  in  Rocky  Mount  has  a  cleaner 
or  more  successful  record  than  that  of  Bulluck,  Philips 
&  Company.  The  firm  is  composed  of  Messrs.  W.  A. 
Bulluck,  D.  K.  Styles  and  W.  B.  Philips,  three  of  the 
ablest,  most  respected  and  most  popular  of  this  city's 
younger  business  men.  Messrs.  Bulluck  and  Styles 
with  Mr.  G.  B.  Byrd,  who  was  their  partner  at  that 
time,  founded  this  business  January  1st,  1906,  underthe 
name  of  Bulluck,  Bvrd  &  Company,  the  name  being 
changed  to  Bulluck,  Philips  &  Company  in  1907  when 
Mr.  Philips  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Byrd. 

Though  Messrs.  Bulluck  and  Styles,  the  active 
managers,  are  yet  young  men,  Mr.  Styles  being  thirty- 
two  and  Mr.  Bulluck  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  they 
are  now  the  oldest  furniture  dealers  in  the  city,  having 
been  actively  engaged  in  this  business  since  1902.  Their 
phenomenal  and  substantial  growth  has  carried  them  in 
the  five  years  since  the  establishment  of  the  present  firm 
from  the  comparatively  small  Barnes  Building,  a 
wooden  structure,  to  the  larger  store  at  115  Washing- 
ton St.,  and  thence  to  the  magnificent  quarters  they 
now  occupy. 

Their  stock  of  furniture  and  of  everything  that 
goes  to  furnish  an  elegant  modern  home  is  exceptionally 
large  and  complete  and  of  the  highest  grade.     They 

124 


cater  to  people  in  every  walk  of  life  and  keep  a  stock  that  will  answer  the  de- 
mands from  the  most  inexpensive  to  the  most  expensive.  When  a  customer 
so  desires,  they  will  furnish  his  entire  home  complete  on  the  basis  of  a  small 
payment  down  and  a  very  small  sum  payable  monthly  thereafter.  This  gener- 
ous custom  of  theirs  has  indeed  been  a  blessing  to  scores  of  homes  that  were 
not  able  to  command  the  necessary  money  to  pay  all  cash  for  iheir  furniture. 
The  kindness  and  liberality  this  firm  has  shown  to  hundreds  of  customers  in 
this  respect  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  their  popularity.  They  also  have  a  com- 
plete embalming  and  undertaking  department  with  a  full  line  of  coffins  and 
caskets  and  all  undertakers'  supplies,  including  the  finest  hearse  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Styles,  who  assists  in  the  undertaking  department,  is  thoroughly  competent 
and  experienced,  having  taken  a  special  course  in  embalming  in  the  Renourd 
Training  School  for  Embalmers,  in  New  York.  This  firm  also  has  the  only 
morgue  in  the  city,  located  on  their  third  floor. 

The  story  of  the  success  of  this  concern  and  of  these  young  men  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  in  the  annals  of  Rocky  Mount.  By  square  business 
methods,  upright  life  and  splendid  business  capacity  they  have  created  one  of 
the  very  largest  and  strongest  furniture  businesses  in  Eastern  North  Carolina. 
They  occupy  at  present  four  floors  of  the  large,  modern  Shore  Building,  and 
also  occupy  a  large  part  of  the  Barnes  Building  on  East  Washington  street,  and 
of  the  store-room  on  Washington  St.,  recently  vacated  by  Gorham-Matthews 
Hardware  Company,  and  are  using  approximately  twenty-five  thousand  square 
feet  of  floor  space. 

Messrs.  Bulluck,  Styles  and  Philips  are  all  native  born  Rocky  Mount  men, 
and  they  have,  by  sheer  ability,  unfailing  courtesy  and  square  methods,  attained 
their  present  enviable  standing  in  the  business  circles  of  the  city. 

The  people  of  Rocky  Mount,  recognizing  Mr.  Bulluck's  fine  ability  and  pub- 
lic spirit,  elected  him  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  June  1910.  In 
this  position  he  served  with  much  usefulness  until  his   removal   from   the  ward 

125 


MR.  W.  A.  BULLUCK. 


from  which  he  had  been  elected,  Mr.  Bul- 
luck  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Rocky 
Mount,  and  in  his  boyhood  worked  in  the 
brokerage  business  with  his  uncle  at  Scot- 
land Neck,  N.  C.  Returning  to  Rocky 
Mount,  he  received  four  years,  experience 
in  the  furniture  business  as  salesman  for 
Philips  &  Dowdy  up  to  the  time  he  went 
into  business  for  himself. 

Mr.  Styles  knows  the  furniture  busi- 
ness in  all  its  details  and  has  well  earned 
the  success  that  has  come  to  him  winning 
at  the  same  time  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
everybody  with  whom  he  has  come  in  con- 
tact. 

With  these  three  alert,  aggressive  and 
successful  young  business  men  behind  it, 
and  with  the  marked  prominence  already 
achieved,  the  future  of  the  firm  of  Bulluck, 
Philips  &  Company  is  particularly  bright 
and  its  usefulness  to  Rocky  Mount  very 
promising. 


MR.  D.  K.  STYLES 


MR.  W.  B.  PHILIPS 


126 


J   F  BISHOP  JR. 


JNO  N.  BATTS 


JESSE  PITT 


Selling  force  for  Bulluck,  Philips  &  Co. 
127 


ROCKY  MOUNT  SHOE  COMPANY 


One  of  the  Largest  and  Highest  Class  Shoe  Stores  in  North  Carolina 


INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  ROCKY  MOUNT  SHOE  CO.  STORE. 


128 


The  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company  began 
business  in  Rocky  Mount  in  the  spring  of  1907 
and  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  North 
Carolina  in  1910.  Since  it  first  opened  in  Rocky 
Mount,  this  store  has  been  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular business  places  in  the  city.  They  carry 
only  the  highest  class  goods  and  cater  always  to 
the  best  people.  Their  line  of  shoes,  both  as  to 
quality  and  as  to  the  size  of  stock  and  complete- 
ness of  range  in  the  different  styles,  sizes  and 
widths  is  not  surpassed  by  any  shoe  store  in 
North  Carolina.  In  the  line  of  haberdashery 
their  prominence  is  undisputed,  and  the  stock 
they  carry  has  become  the  last  word  in  styles  in 
Rocky  Mount. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  in  this  connection 
that  there  are  few  stores  anywhere  more  artisti- 
cally arranged  or  with  neater  and  more  inviting 
appearance.  The  managers  of  this  store  realize 
the  fact  that  the  public  appreciates  competent 
and  courteous  service  and  a  pleasant  place  in 
which  to  shop,  as  well  as  goods  of  high  quality. 

The  President  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Shoe 
Company  is  Mr.  R.  E.  Roberson,   a   prominent 


MR.  P.  L,  TH1GPEN 


MR.  C  F.  GETSINCER 


129 


and  wealthy  citizen  of  Palmyra,  N.  C.  Besides  his  interest  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company,  Mr.  Roberson  is  a 
partner  in  the  stores  of  Baker  &  Roberson  at  Palmyra  and  Harrison  Bros.  &  Co.,  at  Williamston.  He  has  also 
large  and  lucrative  farming  interests. 

The  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company  is  Mr.  C.  F.  Getsinger,  who  is  a  native  of 
Jamesville,  N.  C,  having  been  born  March  24th,  1881.  Mr.  Getsinger  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1907  as  Mr.  Rober- 
son's  associate,  to  take  charge  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company  and  it  is  to  his  fine  business  ability  and  uniform 
courtesy,  that  a  large  portion  of  the  success  of  this  company  is  due.  Both  in  a  business  and  a  social  way,  Mr.  Get- 
singer is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  respected  of  Rocky  Mount's  younger  business  men.  Mr.  Getsinger  is  an 
active  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Church  of  Rocky  Mount  and  of  the  Pythian  Fraternity. 

Mr.  Percy  L.  Thigpen,  the  Vice-President  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company,  was  born  near  Tarboro,  January 
20th,  1884,  and  came  of  a  prominent  Edgecombe  county  family.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  October  1904  as  a 
salesman  for  The  Blount  Cympany  which  position  he  occupied  with  eminent  satisfaction  to  his  employers  until 
January  1st,  1910.  On  this  latter  date,  he  became  interested  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company  and  was  elected  Vice- 
President  of  the  same  and  one  of  its  active  managers.  Mr.  Thigpen  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  details  and 
responsibilities  of  the  business  and  by  his  straight-forward  methods  and  courteous  and  upright  bearing  has  won  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  this  city  and  thereby  contributed  materially  to  the  success  of  this 
company. 

All  in  all,  it  might  be  said  that  with  two  young  and  aggressive  businessmen  of  sterling  character  in  charge  like 
Mr.  Getsinger  and  Mr.  Thigpen,  The  Rocky  Mount  Shoe  Company  was  bound  to  succeed,  and  the  prominent  posi- 
tion this  firm  now  occupies  in  the  retail  business  circles  of  the   city    is   therefore   not  a  matter  of  wonder. 


130 


188  5 


GRIFFIN'S  DRUG  STORE 


19  11 


INTERIOR  VIEW  GRIFFIN'S  DRUG  STORE 


131 


MR.   HUGH  A.  GRIFFIN.  Manager 


Griffin's  Drug  Store  was  one  of  the  earliest  business  houses  established  in  the 
city,  then  a  village  of  only  a  few  hundred  inhabitants.  In  1885  Mr.  J.  M.  Griffin, 
a  young  man  of  Washington,  N.  C,  acquired  the  business  from  Dr.  Powell,  for 
whom  he  had  previously  clerked.  He  soon  became  widely  known  and  loved  by 
all  his  patrons  for  his  kindly  and  courteous  manner  and  his  unwavering  loyalty  to 
their  interest  and  welfare.  Under  his  hustling  and  energetic  management  the 
business  grew  and  prospered,  and  became  known  to  the  people  throughout 
both  counties. 

Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Griffin  in  1901  the  business  has  continued  to  be  run 
under  the  old  name  so  well  known  to  the  whole  community,  and  with  the  same 
attention  to  its  old  policy  of  reliability  and  accuracy,  promptness  and  courtesy. 

The  present  manager,  Mr.  H.  A.  Griffin  is  a  son  of  the  founder  and  former 
owner,  and  a  young  man  of  exceptional  ability  and  personality.  He  graduated 
with  honors  from  the  College  of  Pharmacy  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  in 
1908  and  was  licensed  in  the  same  year.  Mr.  Griffin  is  ably  assisted  by  Mr. 
George  Hart,  a  registered  druggist,  for  years  associated  with  the  Thomas  Drug 
Co.,  of  Duke,  N.  C,  Mr.  E.  V.  Woodard  and  Mr.  J.  M.  Griffin. 

During  the  twenty  five  years  of  its  active  business  this  house  has  kept  abreast 
of  all  modern  methods,  and  has  ever  stood  for  the  best  interest  of  the  community 
and  the  developement  of  the  city.  No  better  criterion  of  its  honesty  and  reliability 
could  be  cited  than  that  of  its  continued  growth,  and  the  fact  that  no  error  has  ever 
occurred  in  the  whole  course  of  twenty-five  years  of  active  business  to  mar  its  record. 
A  business  house  of  unusual  stability,  striving  for  the  end  of  the  mutual  advantage 
of  itself,  and  its  patrons,  with  reliability  and  accuracy  as  its  motto,  this  firm  has 
had  a  larger  part  in  our  great  growth  and  prosperity  as  a  city. 


132 


GEM  THEATRE— Rocky  Mount's  Popular  Playhouse 

One  of  the  innovations  that  have  b2;n  introdu;ed  within  the  past  few  years,  and  which  have  become  very  popu- 
lar, are  the  moving  picture  theatres.     From  the  beginning  it  was  seen  that  these  theatres  were  not  only  a  source  of 

much  innocent  diversion  and  pleasure,  at  a  minimum  cost, 
but  were  really  important  educational  factors  to  the  large 
body  of  people  who  patronize  them,  giving  them  an  insight 
and  a  knowledge  of  the  physical  parts  of  the  different 
countries  and  cities  of  the  world  and  of  historical  incidents 
that  cannot  fail  to  be  understood  by  even  the  most  un- 
lettered. 

The  Gem  Theatre  in  Rocky  Mount,  owned  and  operated 
by  Messrs.  W.  F.  Swaringen  and  J.  A.  Edgerton,  is  one 
of  the  most  efficiently  conducted  and  popular  of  these 
playhouses  in  the  eastern  section  of  North  Carolina.  Here 
are  shown  not  only  several  new  films  of  attractive  pictures 
every  night,  but  a  class  of  vaudeville  performances  that 
are  really  creditable  to  a  theatre  where  the  admission  price 
is  as  low  as  it  is  here,  five,  ten  and  fifteen  cents. 

Mr.  Swaringen  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  capa- 
gem  theatre  ble  vaudeville  managers  in  the  South  and  is  also  the  head 

of  the  Carolina  Booking  Exchange,  which  has  its  main  office  in  Charlotte,  with  a  branch  office  in  Rocky  Mount, 
managed  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Edgerton,  and  books  performances  for  a  chain  of  theatres  that  reach  all  the  way  from  Virginia 
to  middle  Georgia.  In  addition  to  his  theatre  in  Rocky  Mount,  Mr.  Swaringen  owns  and  operates  the  Orpheum 
Theatre,  in  Charlotte,  N.  C,  which  is  the  headquarters  of  his  booking  business.  Mr.  Swaringen  was  formerly  well 
known  in  the  North  Carolina  newspaper  field,  being  for  a  number  of  years  editor  and  owner  of  the  Edenton  Trans- 
cript. He  left  the  newpaper  business  to  enter  the  amusement  world  about  two  years  ago  and  the  success  he  has 
won  in  his  new  field  in  so  short  a  time  is  proof  that  he  possesses  ability  of  more  than  ordinary  class.  Mr.  Edger- 
ton looks  after  the  management  of  the  Gem  Theatre  in  this  city. 

133 


RESIDENCE  OF  HON.  F.  S.  SPRUILL 


134 


MR.  M.  V.  BARNHILL 


MR.  M.  V.  BARNHILL 


U.  S.  Commissioner  and  Attorney  At  Law 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Mr.  Maurice  Victor  Barnhill,  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  of  the  younger  members  of  the  Rocky  Mount  and  Nash 
County  Bar. 

Mr.  Barnhill  was  born  in  Enfield,  Halifax  County,  N.  C,  December  5th, 
1887  and  is  therefore  only  twenty-three  years  old.  He  is  a  son  of  Martin  V. 
and  Mary  (Dawes)  Barnhill,  his  mother  being  a  sister  of  Senator  John  Dawes 
of  Elm  City,  N.  C.  ^  n  .      ,  ,    .     lU 

Mr.  Barnhill  was  educated  in  the  Enfield  Graded  Schools  and  in  the 
University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill. 

During  1907  when  only  twenty  years  old,  he  was  Assistant  Cashier  of 
the  Toisnot  Banking  Company  of  Elm  City,  N.  C,  making  an  enviable 
record  in  the  short  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  banking  business.  Going 
back  to  Chapel  Hill,  he  read  the  prescribed  course  in  Law,  and  was  licensed 
to  practice  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina  in  February  1909.  He 
immediately  located  in  Raieigh  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  forming  a 
copartnership  with  Mr.  Walter  H.  Grimes,  a  leading  young  attorney  of  the 
Capital  city.  Mr.  Barnhill  practiced  law  in  Raleigh  until  March  1910,  when 
he  came  to  Rocky  Mount  to  permanently  locate. 

Here,  Mr.  Barnhill  is  by  his  close  application,  upright  life  and  fine  ability, 
achieving  success,  and  has  already  built  up  a  nice  practice  within  this  short 
time. 


135 


During  the  campaign  of  1910,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Executive  Committee, 
leader  tor  Nash  County  of  the  Young  Men's  Movement  which  contributed  materially  to  the  great  Democratic  victory 
won  in  North  Carolina  and  the  nation  last  year. 

In  February  1911,  as  a  further  recognition  of  Mr.  BarnhiU's  ability  and  fine  character,  he  was   appointed   U     S 
Commissioner  byU.  S.  Judge  Connor,  and  is  filling  this  position  with  credit  to  himself,  and  with  Ihorough   satisfac- 
tion to  the  governmental  authorities. 

Mr.  Barnhill  is  at  present,  Attorney  for  a  number  of  corporations,  including  the  Sharpsburg  Banking  Company, 
the  town  of  Sharpsburg,  the  town  of  Elm  City,  and  the  Toisnot  Banking  Company  of  Elm  City.  He  is  regarded 
among  the  profession  as  a  very  promising  practitioner,  one  who  holds  in  high  regard  and  respect,  the  ideals  and 
ethics  of  his  profession,  and  withal,  possesses  those  sterling  qualities  of  character  which  must  constitute  the  founda- 
tion of  success  in  any  walk  of  life. 

Mr.  Barnhill  is  unmarried. 

His  offices  are  over  Kyser's  Drug  Store  in  the  central  section  of  the  city. 


136 


MR.  LEIGH  DAVIS  BULLUCK 


Proprietor  of  Bulluck's  Garage,  Bulluck's  Automobile  Training  School,  and  Rocky  Mount's  Leading  Automobile 

Expert  and  Dealer.     Cars  For  Sale,  Hire  and  Exchange 


One  of  the  most  striking  effects  of  the  building  of  good  roads  in  the  surrounding  country  and  the  paving  of  the 
streets  of  Rocky  Mount  has  been  seen  in  the  great  increase  in  popularity  of  automobiles  as  a  means  of  transit  during 
the  past  few  years,  and  in  the  great  number  of  machines  that  are  now  owned  by  citizens  of  Rocky  Mount. 

The  leading  automobile  dealer  in  the  city  is  Mr.  L.  D.  Bulluck,  and  his  garage  in  the  Rose  building  on  Main 
street,  is  one  of  the  largest  in  Eastern  North  Carolina.  On  one  floor  he  has  approximately  6,500  square  feet  of  floor 
space,  with  cement  floor,  sufficient  to  store  comfortably,  forty  cars,  and  an  average  of  fifteen  cars  can  be  found  in  this 
garage  every  night. 

The  famous  Overland,  Oakland,  Reo,  Brush,  Hupmobile  and  E.  M.  F.  cars  are  here  stored  and  handled. 

Mr.  Bulluck's  automobile  repair  department  is  one  of  the  most  complete  and  efficient  in  North  Carolina.  He 
employs  only  expert  machinists,  and  all  the  work  done  is  the  very  best  that  skill  and  the  utmost  care  can  produce. 
He  carries  a  full  line  of  all  accessories  and  also  a  complete  line  of  tubes  and  casings  to  fit  any  car  now  in  use.  5  per 
cent  discount  is  given  for  cash. 

Another  feature  of  this  big  establishment  is  a  painting  and  finishing  department,  carrying  an  extensive  line  of 
paints  and  crude  material  and  employing  an  expert  painter  and  finisher  who  has  given  his  life  to  this  business.  This 
department  is  prepared  to  do  all  kinds  of  painting  and  finishing,  especially  automobiles  of  all  makes,  carriages, 
hearses;  and  repairs  and  refinishes  high  grade  and  antique  furniture.  The  excellence  of  the  work  of  this  depart- 
ment is  well  known  and  has  been  widely  commented  on. 

Beginning  the  first  of  the  present  year,  Mr.  Bulluck  has  been  conducting  at  his  garage,  an  Automobile  Training 
School,  which  has  been  eminently  successful  so  far,  and  is  rapidly  acquiring  a  reputation  for  thorough  and  conscien- 
tious instruction  both  as  to  the  mechanism  of  all  makes  of  automobiles  and  in  the  capacity  to  handle  them.  Men 
totally  without  experience  are  here  put  through  a  course  of  training  that  in  a  short  time  thoroughly  fits  them  for  any 
class  of  service  in  the  care  and  handling  of  automobiles. 

Mr.  Bulluck  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  reliable  automobile  and  mechanical  experts  in  eastern  North 

137 


Carolina.     For  twenty  one  years   he   has   been   engaged  exclusively   in  business   that  has  covered   almcst   every 
department  and  class  of  mechanical  work.     His  methods  are  direct,  thorough  and  effective. 

Mr.  Leigh  Davis  Bulluck  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prom- 
inent Edgecombe  County  families,  which  has  long  been  widely  connected  and 
closely  identified  with  the  county's  business  and  social  life.  Mr.  Bulluck  himself 
was  born  in  Halifax  County,  January'  22nd    1863.     His    father  moved  back  to 


LEIGH  DAVIS  BULLLCK 


BULLUCKS  GARAGE 


138 


Edgecombe  in  1866.  Mr.  Bulluck's  early  life  was  spent 
on  the  farm,  where  he  imbibed  those  elements  of  physical 
and  intellectual  strength  and  vigor,  which  are  rarely 
gained  elsewhere.  Although  he  has  been  actively 
engaged  in  the  handling  and  operation  of  machinery 
for  the  past  two  decades,  he  only  entered  the  automo- 
bile business  in  the  spring  of  1909,  becoming  a  partner 
at  that  time  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Motor  Car  Company. 
His  present  business  was  launched  December  1st,  1909, 
and  its  rapid  growth  and  notable  success  are  a  splendid 
tribute  to  a  business  generalship  which  has  been  able 
to  accomplish  so  much  in  so  short  a  time.  Being  com- 
paratively a  new  business,  the  success  of  an  establish- 
ment of  the  large  proportions  of  The  Bulluck  Garage, 
was  regarded  in  the  beginning  as  somewhat  proble- 
matical. However,  Mr.  Bulluck  has  conclusively  proven 
that  it  can  succeed,  and  that  Rocky  Mount,  The  Gateway 
City  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,  is  the  proper  place  for 
the  automobile  center  of  the  eastern  half  of  the  state. 
So  rapidly  has  Mr.  Bulluck's  out-of-town  business 
interior  view  eulluck-s  garage  grown,  that  he  has   found   it   necessary  to  employ  an 

automobile  and  mechanical  expert,  whose  business  it  is   to  hold   himself  subject  to   calls   from  other  towns. 

Mr.  Bulluck  was  married  December  31st  1903  in  Mount  Lebanon  Church,  Baltimore,  Md.,  to  Miss  Mary  Ketu- 
rah  Kelly  of  the  distinguished  Maryland  family  of  that  name.  The  birthplace  of  Mrs.  Bulluck  is  in  Somerset  Co., 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland.  Mrs.  Bulluck'is  a  lady  of  intellectual  strength  and  charming  grace,  and  with 
generations  of  culture  and  refinement  behind  her,  has  naturally  become  a  social  favorite  in  Rocky  Mount.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bulluck  have  one  child,  a  son,  Master  Leigh  Davis  Bulluck,  Jr.,  who  is  an  interesting  and  spirited  young  gen- 
tleman of  six  years. 


139 


GEORGE  T.  BURNETTE. 


Insurance,  Real  Estate  And  Bonds. 


One  of  the  fastest  growing  real  estate,  insurance  and  bonding  businesses  in  Rocky  Mount  today  is  that  of  Mr. 
George  T.  Burnette,  whose  offices  are  located  on  Main  St.,  next  to  Kyser's  Drug  Company.  This  business  was  es- 
tablished by  Mr.  Burnette  in  1906,  and  each  year  has  shown  a  steady  and  substantial  growth  in  scope  and  in  the 
amount  of  business  transacted.  Mr.  Burnette  does  a  general  insurance  business  in  all  its  branches,  including  life, 
fire,  accident,  burglary,  health  and  plate  glass.  He  represents  the  following,  which  are  among  the  best  standard  fire 
insurance  companies  in  the  world:  The  Royal  Exchange  of  London,  the  Security  of  New  Haven,  the  Spring  Garden 
of  Philadelphia,  Teutonia  of  New  Orleans,  Franklin  of  Philadelphia,  Equitable  Fire  of  Charleston,  Central  National 
of  Chicago,  Monongahela  of  Pittsburg,  Milwaukee  Mechanics' of  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  the  Underwriters  Fire  of 
Rocky  Mount.  In  life  and  accident  insurance  he  represents  the  State  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Indiana,  the 
Travelers  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  the  Pennsylvania  Casualty  Company,  and  the  National  Surety  Company,  a  leading 
bonding  company. 

Mr.  Burnette's  real  estate  transactions  are  becoming  of  greater  magnitude  each  year.  He  is  now  the  manager 
of  the  Villa  Place  Property,  an  extensive  and  most  desirable  residential  section  in  the  Western  part  of  the  city.  There 
are  no  more  desirable  lots  for  building  purposes  in  Rocky  Mount  than  the  lots  which  are  included  in  this  property. 

Mr.  Burnette  is  a  native  of  Castalia,  Nash  County,  N.  C,  and  was  born  May  26,  1879.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Nash  County  and  when  19  years  old,  went  to  Florence,  S.  C,  and  established  a  hardware,  plumb- 
ing and  tinning  business,  which  he  afterward  sold  to  his  brother.  From  that  time  (1902)  until  1906  he  was  travelling 
salesman  for  leading  wholesale  hardwire  companies  of  Richmond  and  Charleston  with  headquarters  at  Florence  and 
Sumter,  S.  C,  returning  to  his  native  county  in  1906  and  establishing  his  present  business.  He  was  married  Jan. 
1st,  1904  to  Miss  Blanche  Lewis  of  Florence,  S.  C.  Mr.  Burnette  is  recognized  as  an  insurance  and  real  estate  man 
of  splendid  ability,  and  by  his  honorable  business  dealings  and  blameless  life  has  acquired  quite  an  enviable  position 
in  the  business  world  cf  Rocky  Mount. 

140 


INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  MR.  GEO.  T.  BURNETTE'S  OFFICE 


MR.  GEO.  T    BLRNETTE 


141 


ABRAM  BOOK  COMPANY, 


Rocky  Mount  people  can  indeed  point  with  pride  to  the  Abram  Book  Company.     In  neatness,    inviting  appear"^ 

ance,  tasteful  and  artistic  arrangement  of  the  inj 
terior,  as  well  as  for  the  skillful  business  insight 
evidenced  by  the  show  windows,  and  the  quality 
and  amount  of  stock  carried,  this  store  does  not 
have  an  equal  in  its  class  in  North  Carolina. 
It  is  really  a  pleasure  for  any  one  who  appreci-' 
ates  the  artistic  in  life,  to  pay  the  store  of  Mr. 
Abram  a  visit,  fof  not  only  will  they  find  any1 
kind  of  literature  desired,  but  his  stock  consists 
of  pictures  of  all  descriptions, .novelties,  picture1 
frames,  brass  and  leather  goods,  and  he  adver- 
tises' that  he  can  sell  anything  to  a  business  man 
in  the  way  of  modern  office  conveniences.  He' 
also  does'  a  Wholesale  business  in  wrapping  paper 
and  paper  bags,  and  in  fact  does'  a  large  out  of 
town  business  in  all  the  lines. 

Mf.  Abram  established  this  business  in  the: 
Fall  of  1909,  ih  the  Planters  Bank  Building,  but 
his  business'  steadily  grew  Until  he  required 
larger'  quarters,  and  the  first  of  the  present  year1 
he  moved  to  his  present  large  Store  in  the 
Jenkins'  Building  on  Tarboro  Street,  an  interior" 
view  of  which  is  given  in  this  book. 
interior  view  abram  book  company  Mr.  Abram  is  yet  a  young  man,  thirty  one' 

years  of  age,  but  is  already  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  Rocky  Mount,  a  position  of  much  honor  in   thi£ 

city,  and  is  performing  well  the  public  duties  that  have  devolved  upon  him, 

142 


ROCKY  MOUNT  PEPSI-COLA  BOTTLING  COMPANY,  Inc. 

This  Company  is  Rocky  Mount's  leading  manufacturer  of  all  kinds  of  soft  drinks,   the  favorite  product  of  the 
Han,  heing  d*U*  and  Lversally  enjoyed  drink,  Pepsi-Col,  £*«^™tfg«£&!?&  'S 

up  an  extensive  and  lucrative  wholesale  trade  through- 
out several  counties  surrounding  Rocky  Mount. 
The  company  has  a  large  and  splendidly  equipped 
plant  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Marigold 
Streets,  where  they  have  every  modern  improve- 
ment, and  device  to  facilitate  the  rapid  and  sanitary 
production  of  their  numerous  kinds  of  non-alcoholic 
beverages. 

The  one  supreme  object,  towards  which  every 
effort  is  directed  at  this  plant,  is  absolute  cleanliness 
and  purity  of  the  drinks  manufactured.  The  plant  is 
washed  up  every  day  and  every  utensil  is  thoroughly 
sterlized.  The  water  that  is  used  is  filtered  by  the 
city  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  in  addition  this  Bottling 
Plant  has  its  own  filtering  system,  and  here  the  water 
is  filtered  a  second  time,  thus  insuring  the  maximum 
of  purity.  The  bottles  that  are  used  go  through 
several  processes  of  cleansing.  First  they  stay  in  a 
caustic  soda  solution  for  twenty  minutes,  which  is 
twice  as  strong  as  lye,  and  are  washed  three  times  in 
three  different  streams  of  running  water  during  which 
process  a  rubber  cleanser,  operated  by  machinery, 
scours  the  inside.     After  having  gone   through   this 


143 


MR.  GEORGE  N.  COOK,  Manager 


process,  there  is  simply  no  question  that  they  are  entirely  clean  and  sanitary.  The 
floor  and  syrup  rooms  receive  daily  attention,  the  floors  being  of  cement  with 
running  water  at  hand  everywhere. 

The  stockholders  in  this  concern  are  Messrs.  George  N.  Cook,  George  L. 
Morgan  and  J.  D.Farrior,  and  the  manager,  as  has  been  stated  above,  is  Mr.  Cook. 

Mr.  Cook  is  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  N.  C.,and  was  born  March  23,  1883. 
He  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Franklin  County  and  at  Richmond  College.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  first  in 
January  1902,  holding  a  position  with  Matthews,  Weeks  &  Company,  Wholesale 
Grocers,  and  later  for  two  years,  was  manager  of  a  wholesale  grocery  concern  in 
Edenton,  N.  C,  returning  to  Rocky  Mount  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Rocky 
Mount  Ice  &  Fuel  Company.  In  January  1910,  he  purchased  a  large  interest  in 
his  present  business,  The  Rocky  Mount  Pepsi-Cola  Bottling  Company,  and  was 
elected  its  manager.  In  the  management  of  the  business  Mr.  Cook  has  evidenced 
ability  of  a  high  order,  the  Company  under  his  control  having  rapidly  extended 
its  scope  of  operations  and  largely  increased  its  trade.  He  is  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular and  most  respected  of  the  city's  younger  business  element,  being  a  member 
of  a  number  of  clubs  and  fraternal  organizations. 

The  non-alcoholic  beverages  manufactured  by  this  Company  are  becoming 
more  and  more  popular  in  this  territory,  and  as  the  trade  becomes  better  and  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  the  fine  conditions  prevailing  at  the  plant,  and  with  the  abso- 
lute cleanliness  with  which  the  drinks  are  manufactured,  larger  orders  and  a  wider 
popularity  are  the  results. 


144 


ROCKY  MOUNT'S  FIVE  AND  TEN  CENT 

STORE 


MR.   HOWARD  COHEN,   Proprietor 


MR.  HOWARD  COHEN 


One  of  the  centres  of  interest  for  the  Rocky  Mount  shopping  trade  is  Cohen's 
Five  and  Ten  Cent  Store,  situated  on  Main  Street,  two  doors  from  the  Post  Office. 

This  store  was  established  by  Mr.  Howard  Cohen  October  1st,  on  a  very  small 
scale,  it  being  a  new  thing  to  Rocky  Mount.  Mr.  Cohen,  who  is  a  native  of  Sa- 
vannah, Ga.,  and  is  now  but  twenty  five  years  old,  had  previously  been  with  the 
Atlanta  Store  of  S.  H.  Kress  &  Company,  who  operate  Five,  Ten  and  Twenty 
Five  Cent  Stores  all  over  the  United  States.  Putting  into  practical  use  in  Rocky 
Mount,  the  ideas  and  experience  he  has  gained  while  with  Kress,  Mr.  Cohen  has 
built  up  his  Rocky  Mount  business  with  wonderful  rapidity.  He  carries  now  large 
and  varied  lines  making  at  least  ten  times  the  stock  that  he  carried  when  he  opened 
business  a  year  and  half  ago,  and  it  is  a  very  poorly  informed  person  in  Rocky 
Mount  or  this  whole  surrounding  territory  who  does  not  know  of  the  Rocky  Mount 
Five  and  Ten  Cent  Store.  That  he  has  succeeded  to  such  a  large  extent  in  so 
short  a  time,  is  proof  positive  that  Mr.  Cohen  not  only  knows  his  business  but 
possesses  the  ability  and  capacity  to  properly  manage  it  with  its  thousand  and  one 
details  and  worries. 

Mr.  Cohen,  as  has  been  stated  was  born  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  received  his 
education  at  the  Poughkeepsie  Military  Academy,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

The  assistant  manager  of  the  store  is  Miss  Lena  Powell,  a  gifted  and  attractive 
young  lady  with  a  good  business  head.     She  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  W.    F.    Powell, 


145 


who  came  to  Rocky  Mount  from  Nashville,  N.  C.  seven  years  ago.  Miss  Powell  has  been  with  Mr.  Cohen  ever 
since  the  store  opened,  and  it  is  but  just  to  say  that  a  good  part  of  the  credit  for  its  success  is  due  to  her  intelligent 
and  creditable  work. 


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INFERIOR  VIEW  FIVE  AND  TEN  CENT  STORE 


146 


JOHN  C.  STOUT 

Architect  and  Builder 


RESIDENCE  OF  MR.  J.  C.  STOUT 


Few,  if  any,  architects  in  N.  C,  are  better 
known  or  have  a  finer  reputation,  than  John  C. 
Stout,  of  Rocky  Mount.  A  thorough  master  of 
his  craft,  and  adding  to  this  the  strength  of  high 
character  and  excellent  business  ability,  he  has 
won  the  confidence  of  a  wide  and  select  clientele 
throughout  this  and  other  states. 

Among  the  buildings  which  he  has  designed 
in  Rocky  Mount  are  the  residences  of  Mr.  T.  J. 
Hackney,  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell,  Mr.  D.  D.  Cuth- 
rell,  Hon.  F.  S.  Spruill,  Capt.  John  D.  Bulluck, 
Jr.,  Isaac  Levy,  The  First  National  Bank  Build- 
ing, Philips  Building  and  other  buildings  too 
numerous  to  mention. 

Mr.  Stout  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order,  being  a  Past  Master  of  St. 
John's  Lodge  No.  1  Wilmington,  N.  C.  He  is 
also  a  Knight  Templar  and  Shriner  and  a  32nd 
degree  Mason. 


147 


MR.  T.  L.  WORSLEY 


MR.  T.  L.  WORSLEY 


Groceries,  Clothing  and  General  Merchandise 
A  Popular  and  Fast  Growing  Store 

This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  grocery  stores  in  the  city  and  a  great  center 
for  the  general  country  trade.  The  proprietor  and  manager  is  Mr.  T.  L.  Worsley, 
one  of  the  best  known  and  most  respected  citizens  of  the  city.  Mr.  Worsley 
established  his  present  business  in  the  year  1899  on  Washington  Street,  just  a  few 
doors  from  the  large  place  he  now  occupies.  Each  year  since,  the  business  has 
shown  a  substantial  growth,  and  each  year  has  seen  a  broadening  of  its  trade  and 
an  increase  in  popularity.  These  facts  are  accounted  for  by  the  unvarying  polite- 
ness and  consideration  shown  his  customers  by  Mr.  Worsley  and  his  assistants, 
and  by  his  policy  of  square  dealing  and  of  rendering  absolute  satisfaction  to  every- 
body who  trades  at  his  store.  He  carries  a  large  stock  of  general  merchandise, 
including  clothing,  dry  goods,-  hats,  shoes  and  notions,  and  one  of  the  most  com- 
plete and  up  to  date  stocks  of  groceries  in  Rocky  Mount. 

Mr.  Worsley,  himself,  is  a  native  of  Rocky  Mount,  having  been  born  almost 
within  sight  of  the  city,  on  May  22,  1868.  He  comes  of  sturdy  Edgecombe 
County  parentage,  and  in  his  business  affairs  he  has  shown  evidences  of  fine 
ability,  which  have  won  for  him  a  prominent  place  in  the  business  life  of  this  com- 
munity. Leaving  the  farm,  Mr.  Worsley  first  entered  the  leaf  tobacco  business  in 
Rocky  Mount,  and  was  successfully  engaged  in  that  business  until  1899,  when  he 
established  his  present  business.  He  was  married  December  28,  1898  to  Miss 
Annie  Madry,  of  Scotland  Neck,  N.  C.    Mr.  and  Mrs,  Worsley  have  two  children. 


148 


Mr.  Worsley  is  assisted  in  his  business  by  Messrs.  J.  T.  D.  Avent  of  the  prominent  Nash  County  family  of  that 
name,  H.  Z.  Luper,  and  L.  E.  Sumner,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Rocky  Mount.  Mr.  Worsley's  efficient  and  popular 
bookkeeper  is  Miss  Mattie  Avent,  daughter  of  Mr.  J.  T.  D.  Avent.  Two  delivery  boys  are  employed  by  the  store 
all  the  time,  as  Mr.  Worsley  makes  it  his  policy  to  deliver  promptly  and  without  cost,  all  merchandise  ordered  by  his 
customers  in  the  city.     The  phone  numbers  are  153  and  270. 


INTERIOR  VIEW  MR.  T.  L.  WORSLEY'S  STORE 
149 


MR.  E.  EPSTEIN 


Clothing,  Shoes  and  Haberdashery 


This  is  one  of  the  leading  clothing  stores,  not  only  of  Rocky  Mount,  but  of  all 
this  section  of  the  State. 

Mr.  Epstein  carries  such  well-known  and  popular  lines  as  Kuppenheimer 
Clothing,  Edwin  Clapp  Shoes,  Hawes  Hats  and  Eclipse  Shirts,  and  has  an  enviable 
patronage  among  the  higher  classes  of  the  trade,  to  whom  he  especially  caters. 

The  present  clothing  house  of  E.  Epstein  was  established  in  Rocky  Mount  in 
March  1905,  Mr.  Epstein  coming  here  from  Goldsboro,  where  he  had  previously 
been  in  business  with  his  brother,  under  the  firm  name  of  Epstein  Bros. 

By  his  upright  life,  splendid  ability,  and  honorable  business  methods,  he  has 
built  a  reputation  for  his  store  in  Rocky  Mount,  the  value  of  which  it  is  hard  to 
estimate. 

Carrying  an  immense  stock  of  the   highest  quality  in  every  line,  and  honestly 
representing  every  article  sold,  his  popularity  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
As  a  citizen  of  Rocky  Mount,  Mr.  Epstein  is  useful  and  forceful,  and   his   public   spirit   is   well-known.     Every 
movement  having  for  its  object  the  progress  of  the  city,  can  always  count  upon  his  substantial  support.     He  was  one 
of  the  promoters  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  present  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Mr.  Epstein  has  a  handsome  residence  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  St.,  and  Western   Avenue  where   he  and  his 
family  reside. 


MR.   E.   EPSTEIN 


150 


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INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  MR.  E.    EPSTEIN'S  STORE 


151 


MR.  GEORGE  F.  HARRELL 


MR.  GEO.   F.   HARRELL 


Proprietor  of  the  Leading  Bicycle  and  Sporting  Goods 

Store 

The  store  of  George  F.  Harrell,  on  Main  Street,  has  become  within  the  past 
few  years,  one  of  the  best  and  most  favorably  known  stores  of  its  class  in  eastern 
North  Carolina.  The  extent  and  diversity  of  the  stock  carried  has  brought  almost 
every  citizen  of  this  section  in  touch  with  this  business  in  one  way  or  another, 
and  the  uniform  courtesy,  square  dealing  and  fair  prices  which  have  characterized 
all  of  Mr.  Harrell's  business  transactions  with  the  public  have  made  his  store  very 
popular  with  all  classes  of  the  trade. 

It  is  probable  that  nowhere  else  in  this  section  of  the  state  can  so  complete 
and  high  class  lines  of  the  goods  carried,  be  found.  The  lines  include  bicycles  of 
the  following  standard  makes:  Racycle,  Rambler,  Cleveland,  Reading  Standard, 
Iver  Johnson,  Eagle;  Edison  Phonographs  and  Victor  Talking  Machines  from 
the  cheapest  to  the  costliest  types;  Eastman  Kodaks;  Spaulding's  Baseball  and 
sporting  goods;  tennis  goods;  shot  guns  and  rifles  in  all  the  standard  makes;  revol- 
vers; full  stock  of  up-to-date  phonograph  records;  numerous  lines  that  are  usually 
found  in  a  regular  hardware  store,  and  a  full  line  of  electrical  equipment  and  appa- 
ratus. The  electrical  department  of  this  store  has  lately  grown  into  an  important 
division,  and  is  doing  inside  wiring  in  some  of  the  most  elegant  Rocky  Mount 
residences. 

In  addition  to  his  electrical  department,  Mr.  Harrell  also  conducts  the  most 
complete  bicycle  and  mechanical  repair  department  in  the  city,  employing  expert 
mechanics  and  doing  a  grade  of  work  that  is  eminently  satisfactory  to  his  patrons. 


152 


This  large  business  has  been  built  up  within  the  past  three 
and  one-half  years,  and  it  is  but  just  to  the  man  whose  brains 
and  energy  created  it,  to  say  that  with  its  thousands  of  details, 
it  has  required  a  high  order  of  ability,  originality  and  fine  busi- 
ness management,  and  its  success  today  is  a  proof  that  those 
qualities  are  combined  in  Mr.  Harrell,  who  though  very  unas- 
suming, has  come  to  be  regarded  as  a  safe  and  excellently 
equipped  business  man,  in  the  trade  circles  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Harrell  is  a  native  of  Gates  county,  N.  C,  born  April 

8,  1880.    In  his  early  youth,  he  left  the  farm  on  which  he  was 

reared  and  went  to  Portsmouth,  Va.,  to  work  for  his  uncle.  He 

entered  business  for  himself  first  at  Pinners  Point,  Va.,  in  1901, 

opening  a  sporting  goods  store,   which  he  conducted  until  his 

desire  for  a  larger  field  and  better  opportunities  brought  him  to 

Rocky  Mount  in  the  fall  of  1907.     Mr.   Harrell  has,  therefore, 

spent  his  whole  business  life  thus  far   in   the  same  business  in 

which  he  is  now  engaged,  another  proof  of  the  fact  that  this  is  a 

day  of  specialists,  and  that  to  succeed   it  is  almost  invariably 

necessary  to  choose  a  vocation  and  then  stick  to  it.  Mr.  Harrell 

.  has  done  that,  and  has  succeeded,  and  according  to  all  indications, 

Interior  View  of  Mr.  G.  F.  Harrell  s  Store  the  future  holds  for  him  yet  a  greater  measure  of  success. 

Besides  his  qualitiesas  a  business  man,  Mr.  Harrell  is  a  good  citizen,  always  being  willing  to  contribute  his  part 

to  any  movement  that  will  benefit  his  adopted  city.     He  is  respected  and  esteemed  by  a  large  and  increasing  number 

of  friends,  and  acquaintances,  aside  from  the  hundreds  of  pleased  and  satisfied  customers  whose  names   are   on   his 

books. 


153 


THORPE  &  RICKS— Leaf  Tobacco 

ROCKY  MOUNT,  N.  C. 


Tobacco  Prizery  of  Thorpe  O.  RicKs 

IT  PAYS 

the  manufacturer  and  dealer  to  buy  on  Rocky  Mount  Market  because  our  tobacco  is  of  superior'  quafi'ty', 

IT  PAYS 

the  farmer  to  sell  on  Rocky  Mount  Market  because  prices  are  steady  and  always  as  high  as  others, 

154 


THE  ROCKY  MOUNT  HOMESTEAD  &  LOAN  ASSOCIATION 


The  Oldest  and  Largest  Institution  of  Its  Kind  in  Rocky  Mount 

Is  Rapidly  Making  Rocky  Mount  A  City  of 

Home-Owners 


After  ail  said,  there  is  probably  no  more  useful  institution  in  Rocky  Mount  today  than  the  Rocky  Mount  Home- 
stead &  Loan  Association.  This  association  offers  one  of  ihe  best  plans  yet  devised  for  investment  of  savings,  and 
especially  for  those  who  wish  to  invest  their  savings  in  the  building  of  a  home.  This  company  was  organized  in 
1902,  and  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  estimate  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  the  large  number  of  people  that  it  has 
made  home-owners*  and  the  number  of  salaried  people  whom  it  has  enabled  to  get  together  their  first  nest  eggs.  It 
is  a  strictly  local  institution,  having  for  its  sole  object  the  promotion  of  habits  of  saving  and  thrift  among  our  people, 
and  leading  them  to  practice  economy  with  a  view  of  owning  their  own  homes  and  becoming  independent.  The  of- 
ficers of  this  company,  who  are  among  the  leading  business  men  and  capitalists  of  this  section,  serve  the  association 
entirely  without  pay,  and  in  every  respect  the  expenses  are  reduced  to  a  minimum.  It  is  a  splendid  tribute  to  the 
unselfish  and  capable  service  rendered  by  the  managers  of  this  institution,  that  never  in  its  history  has  this  associ- 
ation lost  a  penny.  One  reason  for  this  is  that  it  is  a  fixed  rule  of  this  institution  that  before  any  loan  is  made,  not 
only  all  the  officers,  but  every  director,  must  pass  upon  it;  and  the  approval  must  be  unanimous,  or  the  loan  does 
not  go  through.  Every  cent  of  the  money  paid  in  by  the  shareholders  is  kept  continually  at  work,  as  the  officers  do 
not  believe  in  the  policy  of  carrying  a  large  unnecessary  balance  in  the  bank,  which  would  draw  no  interest.  In  this 
way,  everv  precaution  and  safeguard  is  thrown  around  the  money  of  the  shareholders  in  order  that  it  may  not  only 
be  perfectly  safe  against  loss,  but  that  il  may  earn  the  largest  possible  dividends. 

155 


The  growth  of  this  association  has  been  rapid  and  substantial.  At  its  organization  there  Were  less  than  four 
hundred  subscribers.  Now,  there  are  thirty-five  hundred  shares  in  force,  and  six  hundred  shares  have  been  matured 
and  cancelled,  the  association  paying  out  to  its  shareholders  within  the  past  two  years,  ($60,000.00)  sixty  thousand 
dollars.  The  officers  and  directors  of  this  association  have  been  referred  to  in  this  book  in  connection  with  other 
enterprises,  with  which  they  are  actively  connected,  and  no  sketch  of  them  will  be  attempted  here.  It  suffices  to  say 
that  all  the  offices  and  directors  are  known  to  the  public  as  men  of  large  interests  and  fine  ability,  in  whose  integrity 
the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  have  every  confidence. 

To  Mr.  R.  L.  Huffines,  to  whose  initiative  and  promotion  the  existence  of  this  most  useful  concern  is  due  more 
than  to  any  other  cause,  a  large  share  of  the  credit  for  its  fine  and  Worthful  accomplishments  must  be  given. 

The  full  list  of  the  officers  and  directors  of  this  assDciation  are  as  follows:  President,  Mr.  Thomas  H  Battle; 
Vice-President,  Mr.  W.  H.  Newell;  Secretary  &  Treasurer,  Mr.  R.  L.  Huffines;  Directors.  Messrs.  A.  P.  Thorpe, 
John  M.  Donlan,  W.  H.  Newell,  M.  Oppenheimer,  J.  Q.  Robinson,  R.  M.  Will:ams.  E.  W.  Smith,  Thomas  H.  Bat- 
tle, W.  F.  James  and  R.  L.  Huffines. 


156 


ROCKY  MOUNT  INSURANCE  &  REALTY 

COMPANY 

Insurance,    Real    Estate,     Bonds,     Loans,     Rental     Agents. 
One  of  the  Strongest  Real  Estate  and  Insurance  Organi- 
zations in  Eastern  Carolina,  and  the  Oldest  in 

Rocky  Mount 

Few,  if  any,  business  organizations  have  been  more  intimately  concerned  and  active  in  the  growth  and  progress 
of  Rocky  Mount  during  the  past  decade  than  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Co.,  and  its  predecessors,  Battle 
&  Huffines,  and  Huffines  &  Davis.  This  Company  is,  perhaps,  the  largest  and  most  extensive  dealer  in  real  estate 
in  this  section  of  North  Carolina,  buying  and  selling  on  commission  and  also  for  investment.  They  handle  an  im- 
mense amount  of  city  property  annually  and  many  thousand  acres  of  land  outside  of  the  city,  extending  over  several 
counties  and  even  in  other  states,  in  fact,  wherever  it  appears  profitable  to  them  to  deal. 

Every  branch  and  character  of  insurance  is  done  here,  and  the  volume  of  their  insurance  business  has  grown  to 
such  proportions  that  they  rank  among  the  first  concerns  of  this  character  in  North  Carolina.  They  represent  thirty 
of  the  leading  fire  insurance  companies  of  the  world,  writing  a  great  volume  of  business  not  only  in  life  and  fire,  but 
in  burglary,  accident,  steam  boilers,  plate  glass  liability,  and  other  forms  of  insurance.  Their  fire  insurance  business 
actually  extends  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea,  and  they  write  quite  a  large  amount  of  insurance  in  Wilmington, 
Asheville  and  other  leading  cities  of  the  state  outside  of  Rocky  Mount.  Their  rental  department,  established  in 
October,  1908,  has  become  a  very  important  feature  of  the  business,  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  most  select  and 
valuable  property  in  the  city  is  rented  and  the  rents  collected  through  their  agency. 

157 


In  addition  to  their  insurance,  real  estate  and  rental  departments,  they  maintain  and  conduct  one  of  the  largest 
loan  departments  in  the  city,  lending  money  on  real  estate,  abstracting  the  titles  and  absolutely  guaranteeing  all  the 
loans  they  make.  During  the  past  year  they  have  placed  in  this  community,  on  real  estate,  loans  to  the  amount  of 
approximately  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  from  money  obtained  for  this  purpose  from  the  insurance  companies 
which  they  represent  and  other  sources.  To  show  the  splendid  ability  displayed  in  the  management  of  this  business 
it  might  be  stated  that  since  its  organization  in  1906  it  has  never  paid  less  than  ten  per  cent  annual  dividends,  some- 
time going  above  that  figure,  and  at  the  same  time  it  has  in  addition  accumulated  a  surplus  that  is  now  almost  equal 
to  the  capital,  which  is  ($25,000.00)  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  predecessors  of  this  company  were  Battle  &  Huffines,  organized  in  1900,  and  doing  then 
an  insurance  business  exclusively;  and  Huffines  &  Davis,  a  firm  that  was  organized  in  1904  and  whose  business  the 
present  company  took  over.  The  founder,  general  manager  and  moving  spirit  of  this  company  always  has  been  and 
is  now  Mr.  R.  L.  Huffihes,  one  of  the  most  versatile,  forceful  and  successful  business  men  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
As  an  insurance  man,  Mr.  Huffines  is  known  over  several  states  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  successful  in  the  bus- 
iness. The  large  and  profitable  deals  in  real  estate,  which  he  is  constantly  engineering  and  consummating  for  his 
company,  have  placed  him  in  the  front  ranks  of  Eastern  Carolina  real  estate  operators. 

Mr.  Huffines  is  a  native  of  Rockingham  County,  N.  C,  and  was  born  in  1873.  He  was  educated  at  Oak  Ridge 
Institute,  and  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1893  when  twenty  years  of  age.  Since  that  time  he  has  thoroughly  identified 
himself  with  and  contributed  a  considerable  share  in  all  the  developments  and  progressive  steps  that  have  made 
Rocky  Mount  the  progressive  city  it  is  today.  Mr.  Huffines  was  married  in  1898  to  Miss  Carrie  Whitehead,  the  at- 
tractive and  gifted  daughter  of  the  late  lamented  Dr.  W.  H.  Whitehead,  who  had  won  eminence  in  his  profession  in 
this  city,  having  been  at  one  time  President  of  the  Medical  Examining  Board  of  North  Carolina.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huf- 
fines have  four  children,  and  have  a  beautiful  and  commodious  home  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  Street  and  Sunset 
Ave.,  in  a  select  residential  section  of  the  city. 

A  full  list  of  the  officers  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Company  is  as  follows:  President,  Mr.  Thomas 
H.  Battle;  Vice  President  and  General  Manager,  Mr.  R.  L.  Huffines;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Mr.  J.  A.  Smith; 
Attorney,  Hon.  W.  L.  Thorpe;  Adjuster,  Mr.  Benjamin  M.  Brothers;  Manager  of  Rental  Department,  Mr.  L.  Red- 
mond; Stenographer,  Miss  Maude  Philips;  Directors,  Messrs.  T.  J.  Hackney,  W.  L.  Groom,  John  M.  Donlan,  F. 
C.  Ferguson,  P.  C.  Shore,  Paul  W.  Schenck,  G.  T.  Matthews,  W.  L.  Thorpe,  Thomas  H.  Battle  and  R.  L.  Huffines. 

To  the  thousands  who  know  the  men  named  above  on  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  as  Officers,  the  strength  and 
entire  reliability  of  this  company  will  become  patent  at  a  glance.     They  are  men  who  have  been  at  the  helm   all  the 

158 


way  from  the  time  Rocky  Mount  was  a  village  until  the  present  time,  and  represent  resources  that  it  would  be  hard 
to  calculate.  Something  of  most  of  them  is  told  elsewhere  in  the  book  in  connection  with  the  sketches  of  other  large 
interests  with  which  they  are  actively  connected. 

The  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Company  is  Mr.  James  Addison  Smith, 
one  of  the  most  popular  young  business  men  in  the  city,  competent  and  reliable  in  every  respect,  and  possessing  the 
full  confidence  of  his  business  associates.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  native  of  Swansonville,  Pittsylvania  County,  Va.,  and  was 
born  on  October  23,  1883.  He  came  to  Tarboro,  N.  C.  in  1902,  accepting  a  position  with  the  Pamlico  Insurance  & 
Banking  Company  of  that  town.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  February  1,  1906  to  assume  the  position  which  he  now 
occupies.  His  fine  business  Qualities  and  excellent  character,  together  with  his  uniform  courtesy,  have  given  him  a 
secure  position  in  Rocky  Mount  social  and  business  circles.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Elks   and  Pythian    Fraternities. 

The  Company's  Adjuster,  Mr.  Benjamin  M.  Brothers,  is  a  man  of  fine  business  sagacity,  and  is  rendering  the 
company  very  satisfactory  service  in  a  very  difficult  and  responsible  position.  He  first  became  connected  with  this 
company  in  1909.  He  is  employed  the  major  portion  of  his  time  as  Adjuster  for  the  companies  in  the  settlement  of 
losses  in  Eastern  Carolina  and  also  acts  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Huffines  in  the  management  of  the  insurance  department. 
Mr.  Brothers  came  here  from  Richmond,  Va.,  his  home,  where  he  was  formerly  connected  with  the  Virginia  State 
Insurance  Company,  and  with  the  insurance  department  of  the  Virginia-Carolina  Chemical  Company.  He  brought 
a  very  fine  record  to  Rocky  Mount,  and  the  work  he  has  done  since  he  came  here  has  proven  that  he  was  worthy  of  it. 

The  manager  of  the  Rental  Department,  Mr.  H.  L.  Redmond,  is  a  native  of  Edgecombe  County,  and  was  born 
near  Tarboro  on  May  4,  1881.  Mr.  Redmond  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  acquired  those  sturdy  qualities  of  charac- 
ter that  are  usually  won  by  such  a  life.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1910  to  accept  his  present  position,  and  is 
making  a  fine  record  as  one  of  the  best,  most  efficient  and  most  effective  collectors  in  the  city. 

The  stenographer  of  the  Company,  and  one  of  its  most  valued  employees,  is  Miss  Maude  Philips,  daughter  of 
the  late  Mr.  lohn  W.  Philips  of  Edgecombe  County.  Miss  Philips  was  educated  at  the  famous  school  of  St.  Mary  s 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C,  and  has  been  with  Mr.  Huffines  in  his  insurance  and  other  business  since  April  15,  1901.  She 
understands  the  business  thoroughly,  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  company,  and  withal  possesses  excellent  busi- 
ness judgment.  These  facts  have  given  her  a  standing  with  the  company  that  is  rarely  attained  by  stenographers, 
and  it  would  be  hard  to  estimate  the  great  value  and  advantage  of  her  long  service  and  loyalty  to  the  interests  of  Mr. 
Huffines  and  of  the  company. 

The  offices  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Company  are  in  the  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  Building  on 
Main  Street  next  to  the  Postoffice. 

159 


Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  and  Offices  of  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  &  Realty  Co. 


160 


GASTON  G.  LEVY  &  BRO. 

One  of  the  Leading   Grocery  Con- 
cerns of  this  City 

The  firm  of  Gaston  G.  Levy  &  Bro.  began  business 
in  Rocky  Mount  in  the  year  1898,  being  composed  of 
Mr.  Gaston  G.  Levy,  who  has  all  the  time  been  the 
active  manager  of  the  concern,  with  the  late  Mr.  Louis 
C.  Levy,  his  brother,  as  his  silent  partner.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  nowhere  in  this  section  of  the  State 
can  be  found  a  grocery  concern  that  carries  a  more  com- 
plete stock  or  that  has  a  wider  and  more  select  patron- 
age than  the  firm  of  Gaston  G.  Levy  &  Bro.  Besides 
being  always  large  and  complete,  the  stock  is  kept  always 
fresh,  and  the  customers  of  this  store  always  feel  sure 
that  whatever  they  buy  here  is  not  only  of  the  best  qual- 
ity and  at  reasonable  prices,  but  that  the  same  will  be 
accurately  charged. 
Mr.  Gaston  G.  Levy,  the  active  manager  of  the  busi- 
iNiF.RicRviFW  gaston  g  l  tvv  S.  EFO  -s  stcre  ness,  has  lived  in  Rocky  Mount  since  his  early  boyhood, 

and  in  addition  to  possessing  splendid  business  ability,  he  has  so  lived  and  conducted  himself  as  to  gain  the  respect 
and  warm  esteem  of  the  business  circles  of  Rocky  Mount  and  of  the  people  generally.  Mr.  Levy  is  thirty-seven  years 
old  The  silent  partner  in  this  firm,  as  stated  above,  has  been  Mr.  Louis  C.  Levy,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the 
story  elsewhere  in  this  book  of  Braswell  &  Levy,  Leaf  Tobacco  Dealers,  in  which  firm  he  was  also  a  partner.  He 
died  Feb.  25,  1911,  as  universally  mourned  and  lamented  as  any  citizen  this  city  ever  possessed. 

Mr.  Gaston  G.  Levy  will  continue  to  conduct  the  business  in  the  future  under  the  same  firm  name,  and  will  keep 
it  at  the  same  high  standard  of  success  and  efficiency  with  which  it  has  been  conducted  heretofore.  The  store  is 
located  on  Main  Street  between  Kyser's  Drug  Store  and  the  Post  Office,  and  the  'phone  numbers  are    197  and  298. 

161 


MR.  W.  E.  McLEMORE 


Chapman  &  McLemore. 

Merchant  Tailors. 

This  well  known  tailoring  firm  is  com- 
posed of  Mr.  G.  Badger  Chapman  and 
Mr.  William  E.  McLemore.  They  not 
only  do  the  largest  tailoring  business  in 
Rocky  Mount,  but  have  probably  the 
largest  business  of  this  kind  in  this  section 
of  the  State.  With  ample  capacity  and  a 
large  and  well  situated  display  room  at  109 
W.  Tarboro  St.,  with  ample  and  commo- 
dious tailoring  shops  on  the  second  floor, 
they  carry  a  beautiful  and  extensive  line 
of  woolens  that  is  always  up  to  the  minute 
and  represents  all  the  prevailing  styles  and 
shades.  The  quality  of  their  tailoring  is 
well  known  in  Rocky  Mount  and  through- 
out a  territory  that  reaches  to  a  great  dis- 
tance in  each  direction  from  the  city.  They 
make  the  clothes  of  the  people  who  know 
how  clothes  ought  to  be  made,  and  the 
one  rule  of  the  shop  is  that  every  customer 
must  be  satisfied  in  every  detail  of  the  suit 
that  this  firm  builds  for  him.  Ladies'  Tail- 
oring is  one  of  the  firm's  specialties. 


MR.  BADGER  CHAPMAN 


162 


Mr.  Chapman  is  a  young  man  of  fine  parts  and 
is  a  native  of  this  section.  He  was  educated  at  the 
Warrenton  High  School  and  at  one  of  the  best  business 
colleges  in  the  United  States,  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
This  is  his  first  venture  in  business  of  this  character,  as 
he  has  only  recently  purchased  a  half  interest  in  this 
business.  To  those  who  know  his  excellent  business 
qualities  and  good  judgment,  a  successful  future  seems 
assured  for  him. 

Mr.  W.  E.  McLemore  has  been  a  resident  of  Rocky 
Mount  for  ten  years,  coming  here  in  1901.  He  is  a 
native  of  Chesterfield  County,  S.  C,  where  he  was  born 
May  11th,  1873.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  devel- 
oped there  certain  qualities  of  character,  including 
energy,  tenacity  and  industry  which  have  stood  him  in 
good  stead  in  his  business  career.  Later,  Mr.  McLemore 
was  connected  with  a  laundry  in  Charlotte  for  some 
time,  and  was  manager  of  a  laundry  in  Augusta,  Ga., 
for  a  space  of  one  year.  During  the  first  few  years 
of  his  residence  in  Rocky  Mount,  he  was  manager  and 
owner  of  the  Pearl  Steam  Laundry.  Disposing  of  his 
interest  in  the  laundry,  seven  years  ago,  he  entered 
interior  view  chapman  &  McLemore  the   tajiorjng   business    in   which  he  has  been  engaged 

ever  since.  Mr.  McLemore  is  known  as  an  expert  and  conscientious  craftsman  who  is  thoroughly  conversant  with 
every  process  involved  in  the  building  of  a  fashionable  and  satisfactory  suit  of  clothes.  The  large  and  select  patron- 
age he  has  won  in    Rocky   Mount   and  in   this  section  is  ample  proof  of  this  fact. 

With  Mr.  Chapman  as  partner  and  in  the  large  and   more   commodious   place  of  business  to   which  they  have 
recently  moved,  they  have  a  right  to  expect  a  still  larger  measure  of  success  for  the  firm. 


163 


Residence  of  MR.  W.  H.  NEWELL 


164 


MR.  H.  S.  POOL 


Architect  and  Contractor 


On  this  page  is  shown  the  home  of  Mr.  H.  S.  Pool,  who  is  both  an  architect  and  contractor,  having  had  four- 
teen years'  practical  experience  in  these  lines,  and  he  thoroughly  understands  how  to  prepare  plans  for,  or  to  erect,  or 

both,  any  kind  of  building.  He  has  made  plans  and  con- 
tracted for  some  of  the  city's  handsomest  residences,  as  well  as 
buildings  of  other  character,  and  also  this  is  true  of  other  places, 
he  having  done  a  large  amount  of  work  in  his  line  in  nearby 
cities  and  towns. 

He  is  prepared  to  submit  estimates  for  any  kind  of  residence, 
store  or  manufacturing  plant.  On  another  page  is  shown  the 
residence  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Newell,  which  was  designed  and  built 
by  Mr.  Pool,  and  which  is  one  of  the  handsomest  in  our  city. 
A  few  of  the  buildings  erected  by  Mr.  Pool  are  the  Farmer's 
Warehouse,  remodeling  of  the  Episcopal  Church  parsonage, 
Baptist  Church  at  Spring  Hope,  the  residences  of  Messrs.  Tom 
and  Jim  Hines  and  T.  A.  Brinkley,  in  this  city,  and  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  W.  B.  Bobbitt,  at  Enfield.  Mr.  Pool's  strongest 
testimonials  are  from  those  for  whom  he  has  worked. 
As  reference  as  to  Mr.  Pool's  responsibility  he  gives  The 
residence  of  mr.  h.  s.  pool  First  National  Bank,  of  Rocky  Mount. 


165 


MR.  G.  F.  JONES 


One  of  Rocky  Mount's  Leading  and  Most  Popular  Grocers 


INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  MR.  G.  F.  JONES'  STORE 


There  is  no  more  complete  and  up-to-date 
grocery  store  in  Eastern  Carolina  than  that  of  Mr. 
G.  F.  Jones,  situated  at  No.  123  South  Main 
Street,  Rocky  Mount,  N.  C.  Mr.  Jones  carries 
in  stock  everything  that  is  included  in  the  highest 
grade  lines  of  the  grocery  business.  His  store 
was  established  in  the  year  1886,  and  is  therefore 
one  of  the  oldest  grocery  stores  in  the  city.  Ap- 
pealing always  to  those  who  are  particular  as  to 
the  things  they  buy  to  eat,  Mr.  Jones  has  built  up 
a  trade  that  is  not  only  large  and  lucrative,  but  is 
select  and  permanent.  The  cause  of  this  can  be 
found  in  the  unifqrm  courtesy  and  politeness 
shown  the  customers  of  this  store  through  all  the 
years  of  its  business  life  by  Mr.  Jones  and  his  as- 
sistants. The  assistant  manager  of  the  store 
now  is  Mr.  W.  F.  Jones,  a  son  of  Mr.  G.F.Jones. 
Mr.  W.  F.  Jones  was  born  Feb.  28,  1886,  and  as 
assistant  to  his  father,  has  been  in  the  grocery 
business  practically  all  his  life,  and  has  come  to  be 
one  of  the  most  popular  and  capable  salesman  in 
the  city. 

Notable  points  about  this  store  are  the  attrac- 
tive and  well  arranged   window  displays  that   are 


166 


MR.  G.  F.  JONES 


MR,  W.  F.  JONES 


167 


always  in  evidence,  the  prompt  filling  of  orders,  the  quick  delivery,  and  the  neat  and  well-kept  appearance  of  the 
stock,  which  is  always  fresh  and  up-to-date.  Mr.  Jones,  himself,  is  a  native  of  Nash  County,  and  was  born  in  1864. 
By  his  clean  life  and  honorable  business  methods  he  has  won  high  standing  in  the  trade  circles  of  the  city,  and  what 
his  customers  think  of  him  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  when  once  a  person  trades  with  him,  that  person  almost  invari- 
ably becomes  a  regular  customer.  One  good  reason  for  this  fact  is  that  every  patron  of  this  store  feels  absolutely 
assured  that  whatever  they  buy  will  come  to  them  just  as  represented,  the  best  in  that  particular  line,  and  that  the 
same  will  be  accurately  charged.  This  is  a  great  consideration  for  those  who  have  monthly  grocery  accounts,  and 
it  gives  the  customers  a  comfortable  feeling  to  know  that  at  the  end  of  the  month  a  bill  will  be  rendered  them  for 
just  exactly  what  they  bought,  at  the  price  they  bought  it,  no  more  and  no  less. 

Some  of  the  leading  articles  carried  by  this  popular  grocery  supply  house  are  Gold  Medal  Coffee,  Libby's 
Canned  Meats,  Rob  Roy,  Lotus  and  Ballard's  Obelisk  Flours,  Heinze's  Sweet  and  Sour  Pickles,  Preserves,  Ketch- 
ups and  Sauces. 

These  are  only  a  few  things  that  are  carried  by  this  store,  and  are  simply  given  here  as  an  indication  of  the  high 
class  goods  that  are  kept  by  this  store  in  every  department  of  the  grocery  business.  Mr.  Jones  buys  his  fancy 
groceries  from  Austen,  Nichols  &  Co.,  Francis  H.  Leggett,  &  Co.,  and  R.  C.  Williams  &  Co.,  the  best  three  whole- 
sale grocery  firms  in  New  York.  Another  thing  that  has  often  been  commented  on  is  the  fact  that  Mr.  Jones  has  at 
all  times  sufficient  help  to  guarantee  that  every  order  given  will  be  filled  promptly,  and  from  stock  that  is  always 
fresh  and  calculated  to  afford  his  customers  the  highest  degree  of  satisfaction. 

The  telephone  numbers  of  this  store  are  167  and  287. 


168 


Residence  of   MR.  J.   P.   BUNN 


169 


PEARL  STEAM  LAUNDRY 


Rocky    Mount's  Modern  and  Up-To-Date    Laundry 

Plant 


MR.  J.  H    LEDBETTER.  Manaaer 


No  city  in  North  Carolina  can  boast  of  a  better  equipped  or  better  conducted 
laundry  than  Rocky  Mount.  The  plant  of  the  Pearl  Steam  Laundry,  situated  at 
128-132  Sunset  Avenue  is  thoroughly  modern  in  every  respect.  No  expense  has 
been  spared  within  the  past  few  years  in  equipping  it  with  the  most  modern  and 
latest  improved  machinery  and  general  laundry  equipment,  until  now  there  is  no 
work  in  the  laundry  line  that  cannot  be  done  at  this  plant  satisfactorily  and  with 
the  greatest  possible  dispatch.  In  addition,  this  laundry  makes  a  specialty  of  ar- 
tistic hand-finishing,  using  every  known  device  to  preserve  the  goods  from  harm 
and  to  give  them  the  finish  sought  for  by  the  most  particular.  A  competent  and 
rapid  delivery  service  being  a  necessary  adjunct  of  every  well  conducted  laundry, 
this  department  of  the  service  receives  special  attention  from  the  manager,  Mr. 
Ledbetter,  whose  aim  it  is  at  all  times  to  satisfy  his  customers  to  the  last  detail. 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  this  laundry  not  only  does  an  immense  local  bus- 
iness, but  has  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  out-of-town  patronage  from  the 
small  towns  tributary  to  Rocky  Mount  and  from  some  considerably  sized  towns 
some  distance  away. 

The  owners  of  this  laundry  are  Ledbetter  Bros.,  who  purchased  it  from  Mr. 
W.  E.  McLemore  Sept.  1,  1908.  Messrs.  Ledbetter  Bros,  also  conduct  a  large 
and  modern  Laundry  (The  Fayetteville  Steam  Laundry)  at  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  and 
are  both  experienced  and  capable  to  a  high  degree,  having  had  nearly  twenty 
years  experience  in  this  business. 


170 


INTERIOR  VIEWS  PEARL  STEAM  LAUNDRY 


171 


The  manager  of  the  Rocky  Mount  plant  is  Mr.  John  H.  Ledbetter,  than  whom  there  is  not  a  more  competent 
laundry  operator  and  manager  in  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Ledbetter  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  Sept.  1908  on  the  pur- 
chase of  the  local  plant  by  himself  and  his  brother,  to  become  its  manager.  Since  taking  charge,  he  has  not  only 
built  up  its  patronage  to  a  vast  extent,  but  has  seen  to  it  that  the  laundry  be  equipped  as  stated  above  with  the  most 
modern  laundry  appliances  and  machinery  until  now  it  scarcely  has  a  superior  in  this  respect  in  the  state. 

Mr.  Ledbetter  is  a  native  of  Fayetteville.  He  has  had  as  stated  above  nearly  twenty  years  experience  in  the 
laundry  business.  Prior  to  engaging  in  this  business,  he  was  for  eight  years  connected  with  the  A.  C.  L.  R.R.  Co., 
and  the  old  Cape  Fear  &  Yadkin  Valley  R.  R.  as  engineer  and  in  other  capacities.  For  years,  Mr.  Ledbetter  was 
prominent  in  North  Carolina  military  affairs,  being  Sergeant  in  the  Second  North  Carolina  Infantry  during  the 
Spanish-American  War.  He  first  joined  the  Fayetteville  military  company  as  private  in  1890,  and  by  close  applica- 
tion and  a  military  turn,  rose  rapidly.  On  Aug.  23rd,  1899,  he  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Russell,  Captain  of 
the  Fayetteville  Independent  Light  Infantry.  July  29th,  1903,  Governor  Aycock  commissioned  Capt.  Ledbetter 
Captain  and  Quartermaster  of  the  First  N.  C.  Infantry  of  the  National  Guard,  and  Jan.  7th,  1904,  Capt.  Ledbetter 
received  a  commission  from  the  same  source  as  Captain  and  Inspector  of  Small  Arms  Practice  and  Ordinance,  a  very 
responsible  position  in  the  First  N.  C.  Infantry  of  the  National  Guard,  which  position  he  held  for  five  years.  As  a 
military  officer,  Capt.  Ledbetter  was  ever  faithful  and  efficient  making  an  excellent  record. 

The  Assistant  Manager  of  the  Pearl  Steam  Laundry  is  Mr.  John  E.  Atkinson,  a  very  capable  laundry  operator, 
who  is  also  a  native  of  Fayetteville. 


172 


THE  KYSER  DRUG  COMPANY 


One  of  the  Best  Appointed  and  Most  Widely  Patronized  Drug  Stores  in 

This  Section  of  the  State 


This  well  known  drug  store  is  one  of  the  largest  and  is. 


B>    ^Mff 

^ 

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Interior  View  of  Kyser's  Drug  Store 


perhaps,  the  best  located  drug  store  in  Rocky  Mount, 
"Kyser's  Corner"  being  in  the  heart  of  the  business 
and  retail  district  of  the  city.  For  elegance  in  its  ap- 
pointments and  the  thorough  competence  of  its  em- 
ployees, together  with  the  great  care  that  is  always 
exercised  in  the  compounding  of  prescriptions,  this 
store  is  scarcely  excelled  anywhere.  The  proprietor 
and  moving  spirit  of  this  business  is  Mr.  Paul  B.  Kyser, 
one  of  the  most  expert  and  best  known  pharmacists  in 
the  State.  Two  other  registered  pharmacists  are  also 
interested  in  the  company.  Mr.  Howell  Kyser,  son  of 
Mr.  P.  B.  Kyser,  is  actively  engaged  in  the  business, 
and  Mrs.  P.  B.  Kyser,  who  was  the  first  lady  pharma- 
cist to  be  registered  by  the  State  of  North  Carolina. 
Mr.  P.  B.  Kyser  came  to  Rocky  Mount  and  estab- 
lished this  business  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  in  1892, 
and  has,  by  uniform  courtesy,  unquestioned  fair  dealing 
and  fine  business  judgment,  built  it  up  to  its  present 
large  proportions  and  high  standing  in  the  drug  circles 
of  Eastern  Carolina.  This  store  carries,  in  addition  to 
an  extensive  and  complete  line  of  drugs,  a  full  line  of 
toilet  articles,  candies   and   a   thousand   and   one   little 


173 


things  that  go  to  make  up  a  complete  and  modern  drug  store,  and  has,  besides,  one  of  the  largest  soda  fountain 
trades  in  this  city.  Mr.  P.  B.  Kyser  is  a  native  of  Lexington,  S.  C,  and  was  born  in  the  year  1856.  He  has  become 
known  in  Rocky  Mount  as  a  safe  business  man,  one  of  the  best  drug  men  in  the  business,  and  a  useful  citizen, 
respected  and  esteemed  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He  and  Mrs.  Kyser,  who  is  a  social  favorite,  have  a  very  hand- 
some and  commodious  residence  on  Sunset  Avenue,  in  one  of  the  choicest  residential  sections  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Vernon  Kyser,  who  has  charge  of  the  soda  fountain,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  young  men  in  the  city,  and 
his  uniform  politeness  and  courtesy  are  largely  responsible  for  the  store's  big  fountain  trade.  No  young  man  in 
Rocky  Mount  has  a  brighter  future  in  the  drug  business. 


Residence  of  MR.  E.  H.  CREWS 


Residence  of  MR.   P.   B.   KYSER 


174 


MR.  HAMNER  W.  WINSTEAD. 


A  Leading  Wood  And  Coal  Dealer. 


Prior  to  January,  1911,  Rocky  Mount  was  for  a  long  time  without  competition  in  the  coal  business,  one  concern 
handling  all  the  trade.  That  month  saw  the  establishment  of  the  wood  and  coal  concern  owned  by  Mr.  Hamner  W. 
Winstead,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Mr.  Winstead  has  a  large  wood  and  coal  yard  on  the  West  side  of  the  Wilming- 
ton &  Weldon  Railroad,  near  the  tobacco  warehouses.  Here  he  keeps  a  large  supply  of  both  wood  and  coal  for  the 
city  trade.  He  will  make  a  specialty  of  putting  in  supplies  of  wood  and  ccal  for  the  citizens  of  this 
city  during  the  summer  months,  when  both  articles  can  be  furnished  them  much  cheaper  than  during 
the  fall  and  winter.  Mr.  Winstead's  phone  number  is  183,  and  a  call  to  that  number  will  bring  a  quick  response  to 
whatever  the  desire  of  the  customer  may  be,  whether  coal  or  wood,  either  pine  or  oak,  dry  or  green.  In  the  wood 
business,  Mr.  Winstead  has  the  advantage  of  having  on  his  mother's  farm,  a  few  miles  from  the  city,  an  immense 
supply  of  wood  ready  for  the  market,  that  will  last  for  some  time  to  come.  On  this  account,  he  is  in  a  position  to 
give  his  customers  the  advantage  of  the  best  prices  to  be  had. 

Mr.  Hamner  Williams  Winstead  is  a  native  son  of  Nash  County,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  its  oldest  and  most 
prominent  families.  Mr.  Winstead's  father  was  Mr.  William  Robert  Winstead  of  Nash,  and  his  grandfather  was 
David  Williams  Winstead,  during  his  day  one  of  the  largest  slave  owners,  most  prominent  planters  and  most  influential 
citizens  of  the  County.     He  was  for  many  years  a  county  official  in  various  capacities. 

Mr.  Hamner  W.  Winstead  was  born  on  the  Winstead  Plantation,  three  miles  west  of  Rocky  Mount,  February 
17,  1883.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Nash  County,  and  at  the  Southern  Industrial  College  at  Camp  Hill, 
Ala.  Returning  from  college,  he  took  charge  of  his  mother's  farm,  his  father  having  died  some  years  before,  and 
managed  it  for  her  until  his  coming  to  Rocky  Mount  in  January,  1911,  as  stated  in  the  foregoing.  Mr.  Winstead, 
besides  being  a  business  man  of  fine  standing  and  excellent  ability,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  younger  men  of 
the  city,  possessing  many  engaging  traits  of  character  that  have  won  for  him  a  large  circle  of  friends.  These  facts 
coupled  with  his  systematic  devotion  to  business  and  his  honorable  and  upright  life,  are  an  assurance  of  his  large 
success  henceforth. 

175 


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WOOD  YARD  OF  MR.  HAMNER  W.  WINSTEAD 


MR.  HAMNER  W.  WINSTEAD 


176 


THE  PLANTERS  COTTON  SEED  OIL  CO. 


A  Home  Enterprise,  Managed  By  Home  People,  That  Has    Been    And    Is 

Eminently  Successful. 

The  Planters  Cotton  Seed  Oil  Company  is  as  essentially  a  Rocky  Mount  home  industry  as  any  concern  in  the 
city,  all  the  stockholders  and  managers  being  citizens  of  this  community,  the  most  progressive  of  our  farmers 
and' business  men.  This  plant  was  organized  in  1904,  and  in  the  face  of  the  strongest  competition  has  made  good  in 
a  large  sense,  and  besides  being  profitable  to  the  stockholders,  is  of  real  and  substantial  value  to  the  city,    and   com- 


PLANTERS  COTTON  SEED  OIL  COMPANY'S  FACTORY 

177 


rnunity,  creating  as  it  has,  a  strong  market  for  the  products  it  buys.  The  manufacturing  plant  is  weil-iocated  on  the 
Edgecombe  side  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  is  thoroughly  equipped  with  the  most  improved  and  up  to  date  machinery. 
Using  the  cotton  seed  of  the  farmers,  it  manufactures  besides  the  oil,  a  high  grade  meal  that  has  proven  most  satis^ 
factory  for  stockfeeding  purposes,  and  also  a  grade  of  fertilizer,  than  which  there  is  no  better  on  the  market.  The 
fertilizer  manufactory  is  conducted  in  connection  with  the  oil  mill,  and  the  high-class  fertilizer  they  are  turning 
out,  peculiarly  adapted  as  it  is  to  the  needs  of  our  lands,  is  becoming  more  and  more  popular  as  our  farmers  become 
more  familiar  with  it. 

The  President  and  General  Manager  of  this  company  is  Hon.  E.  L.  Daughtridge,  one  of  Rocky  Mount's  most 
prominent  and  most  popular  citizens.  Mr.  Daughtridge  comes  of  a  distinguished  Edgecombe  county  family,  has 
represented  Edgecombe  twice  in  the  legislature  with  pronounced  ability,  and  is  one  of  the  city's  safest  and  most  level- 
headed business  men, 


178 


f1^ 

M 

jflfte  V 

'  :-^-.-w    .    p?. 

\ 

MR.  J.  C.  WYNNE 

Secretary  and  Manager  of  Rocky  Mount  Sash  &  Blind  Company  and  One  of  the 

City's  Ablest  Business  Men 


As  a  continuation  of  the  story  begun  on  page  78,  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Sash  & 
Blind  Company,  one  of  Rocky  Mount's  most  important  manufacturing  institutions, 
it  is  desirable  to  set  forth  something  of  the  company's  good  fortune  in  the  selection 
of  the  man  whose  strong  hand  is  directing  it  in  the  distinctly  successful  path  it  is 
now  travelling.  The  company  secured  Mr.  J.  C.  Wynne,  the  Secretary  and 
Manager,  something  over  two  years  ago,  offering  him  sufficient  inducement  to  give 
up  his  large  private  interests  and  devote  his  splendid  ability  and  sound  judgment 
to  the  management  of  this  concern.  Results  have  shown  that  this  was  an  exceed- 
ingly wise  step,  for  Mr.  Wynne's  natural  capacity  for  controlling  men,  and  his 
thorough  knowledge  of  every  detail  of  the  business,  have  resulted  in  a  large  in- 
crease in  business  done  and  increased  profits  in  every  department. 

Mr.  Wynne  is  a  native  of  Pitt  county,  born  in  1860.  Prior  to  his  purchase  of 
stock  in  this  business,  and  his  acceptance  of  the  position  of  Secretary  and  Manager, 
he  was  engaged  practically  all  his  life,  and  very  successfully,  in  the  contracting  and 
real  estate  businesses,  his  fine  judgment,  backed  up  with  his  ability  to  put  through 
big  deals,  resulting  in  his  accumulating  a  very  comfortable  share  of  this  world's 
goods.  Today  he  is  a  large  holder  of  valuable  Rocky  Mount  real  estate,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  stock  in  this  company  and  his  interest  in  other  things.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  Rocky  Mount  since  May,  1895,  and  has  been  thoroughly  identified  and 
potent  in  all  the  movements  that  have  made  it  the  city  it  is  today.  Besides  com- 
mr.  j.  c.  wynne.  Managw  manding  the  implicit  confidence  of  the  business   circles   of  the  city  in  his  personal 

integrity  and  high  sense  of  honor,  Mr.  Wynne  has  well  earned  the  place  he  now  occupies  in  the  public  esteem  as 
one  of  the  wisest  and  most  forceful  business  and  industrial  captains  in  this  section  of  the  State. 

179 


PARKER'S  JEWELRY  STORE. 


The  Leading  Establishment  Of  Its  Kind  In  This  Part  Of  The  State.     One  Of  The  Show  Places  Of  Rocky  Mount. 
The  Store  That  Employs  Only  Graduate  Experts  In  Each  Department. 

For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  and  a  wide 
surrounding  territory,  have  been  buying  their 
jewelry, cut  glass,  watches,  etc.  at  Parker's  Jewelry 
Store.  This  does  not  mean  however  that  there  is 
anything  old  (except  the  name)  or  antiquated  about 
this  store.  On  the  contrary,  this  is  one  of  the 
concerns  that  have  caught  the  spirit  of  progress 
and  modern  hustle  at  every  step,  going  continually 
in  advance  of  the  growth  of  the  city,  and  anticipa- 
ting the  needs  of  the  business.  At  this  time,  this 
store  would  be  credit  to  a  city  of  fifty  thousand 
people,  both  in  the  size  and  handsome  equipment 
and  furnishings,  and  in  the  quality  and  complete- 
ness of  all  the  different  lines  which  are  to  be  found 
in  the  most  modern  and  up  to  date  stores  in  the 
larger  cities,  and  which  this  store  carries  at  all 
times.  Here  are  represented  a  number  of  the 
leading  jewelry  and  cut  glass  lines  of  the  country, 
and  the  policy  pursued  of  never  carrying  anything 
but  the  best,  has  been  found  to  be  abundantly  jus- 
tified in  the  winning  of  the  entire  confidence  of  the 
people,      and     consequently,      their     patronage. 

INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  MR.  GEO.  L.  PARKER'S  JEWELRY  STORE 

180 


Recently,  this  store  moved  into  the  large  and  commodious  building  at  121  Main  Street,  installing  complete  new  fix- 
tures that  are  not  excelled  by  any  jewelry  store  in  the  state.  The  furnishings  are  all  in  plate  glass,  the  most  expen- 
sive mirrors  and  mahogany,  which  in  truth  render  this  store,  as  stated  in  the  headlines,  one  of  the  show  places  of 
Rocky  Mount. 

The  proprietor  of  this  store  is  Mr.  George  L.  Parker,  one  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  and  church  men 
in  the  city,  and  one  of  the  best-equipped  and  most  competent  jewelers  in  the  business.  Mr.  Parker  is  the  pioneer 
jeweler  of  Rocky  Mount,  coming  here  as  he  did  over  twenty  years  ago  when  Rocky  Mount  was  yet  a  village  and  its 
present  size,  wealth  and  prosperity  were  not  even  dreamed  of  by  any  except  a  few.  Mr.  Parker  immediately  im- 
pressed the  people  as  being  the  sort  of  progressive  citizen,  desirable  to  have,  and  his  business  prospered  from  the 
beginning.  The  people  came  to  know  that  his  word  when  given  could  be  trusted,  and  it  has  alway  been  his  scrupu- 
lous care  that  not  a  single  article  should  go  out  from  his  store,  that  did  not  measure  up  in  the  fullest  respect  to  what 
he  represented  it  to  be.  There  could  be  but  one  result  to  a  business  policy  of  this  kind,  and  today,  there  is  not  a 
person  in  Rocky  Mount,  but  would  be  willing  to  buy,  with  full  confidence,  on  Mr.  Parker's  word.  The  importance 
of  this  in  the  jewelry  business  will  be  readily  recognized.  As  a  rule,  the  great  majority  of  people  who  buy  jewelry, 
must  depend  upon  the  good  faith  and  reputation  of  their  dealer  as  to  its  quality,  for  the  average  customer  knows 
about  as  little  about  judging  jewelry  as  anything  that  could  be  imagined.  On  account  of  this  fact,  and  the  fact  that  in 
all  the  years  of  his  business  Mr.  Parker  has  never  allowed  an  article  to  be  misrepresented  in  even  the  slightest  de- 
gree, the  wide  popularity  of  his  store  among  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  and  this  section  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
About  sixteen  years  ago,  Mr.  Parker  was  appointed  Watch  Inspector  for  the  A.  C.  L.  R.  R.  Co.,  which  position  he 
still  holds. 

As  was  stated  in  the  begining,  Mr.  Parker  is  not  only  the  leading  jeweler,  but  is  one  of  the  most  capable  business 
men  and  useful  citizens  of  the  city.  He  is  especially  active  in  church  work,,  being  one  of  the  most  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  and  for  a  long  time,  teacher  of  the  Baraca  Class  of  the  First  Baptist  Sunday  School. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools,  and  a  strong  advocate  of  everything 
that  tends  to  advancing  their  interests.  He  is  President  and  a  large  stockholder  in  The  Rocky  Mount  Publishing 
Co.,  Printers,  and  Publishers  of  The  Daily  Record,  and  is  an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  and 
Pythian  fraternities. 

Mr.  Parker  was  married  in  1889  to  Miss  Laura  Herbert,  of  Kinston.  They  have  five  children,  George  L.  Jr., 
Walter  Herbert,  Irene,  Laura  Alice  and  Jesse  Van. 

One  of  the  rules  that  have  always  been  in  force  at  Parker's  Jewelry  Store,  that  have  (ended  to  confirm  the  con- 

181 


fidence  of  the  people  and  to  satisfy  the  customers  in  every  particular,  is  that  none  but  expert  and  competent  em- 
ployees shall  be  connected  with  the  business.  For  instance,  at  this  time,  as  heretofore,  every  employee  is  a  graduate 
in  his  line  of  one  of  the  most  famous  jewelry  and  watchmaking  schools  in  the  country.  This  policy  is  an  absolute 
guarantee  that  the  quality  of  work  turned  out  in  the  watchmaking,  engraving  and  repair  departments  is  only  of  the 
best. 

Mr.  James  Madison  Fox,  who  has  been  with  Mr.  Parker  nearly  seven  years,  is  a  graduate  of  Bowman's  Tech- 
nical School  of  Lancaster  Pa.,  and  is  one  of  the  most  expert  craftsman  in  the  State.  Mr.  Fox  is  a  native  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  and  was  born  Oct.  19,  1876,  coming  to  Rocky  Mount  to  accept  his  present  position  in  1904.  Mr.  Fox 
was  married  in  1906  to  Miss  Mary  Ella  Kelly,  of  Goldsboro,  N.  C. 

Mr.  George  Lee  Parker,  Jr.,  who  has  charge  of  the  engraving  department,  is  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  most 
expert  engravers  in  this  part  of  the  state,  turning  out  work  that  is  a  thing  of  beauty  and  of  immense  satisfaction  to 
the  patrons  of  the  store.  Mr.  Parker  is  a  son  of  Mr.  George  L.  Parker,  the  proprietor  of  the  store,  and  was  born  in 
Rocky  Mount  July  16,  1890.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Lancaster 
(Pa.)  Bowman's  Technical  School  of  watchmaking  and  engraving.  Besides  being  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
best  methods  of  his  business  he  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  useful  young  men  in  Rocky  Mount.  He  is  quiet  and 
unassuming,  and  attends  strictly  to  business  and  his  other  duties.  His  window  dressing  at  the  store  has  been  widely 
commented  on  for  artistic  taste  and  beauty  of  arrangement.  He  makes  it  a  point  to  see  that  the  show  windows  of 
the  store  shall  always  be  such  as  to  arrest  attention,  and  fitly  represent  the  high  rank  of  the  store.  Mr.  Parker  is  a 
faithful  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  is  Secretary  of  its  Sunday  School. 

Mr.  Ellis  Spencer  Hamrick,  the  head  watchmaker  at  this  store,  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  famous  school  at  Lan- 
caster, Pa.,  and  is  capably  and  satisfactorily  filling  the  position  he  occupies  with  this  well-known  establishment. 
Mr.  Hamrick  is  a  native  of  Braxton  County,  W.  Va.  and  was  born  July  19,  1889.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  to  ac- 
cept the  position  with  Mr.  Parker  Nov.  28,  1910. 


182 


MR.  M.  C.  BRASWELL. 


Proprietor  of  Largest  Supply  Business  in  State.     Farms  on  Immense  Scale. 

Interested  in  Many  Enterprises. 


MR.  M.  C.  BRASWELL 


The  general  supply  business  conducted  by  Mr.  M.  C.  Braswell  at  Battleboro 
is  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest,  in  volume  of  business  transacted,  in  Car- 
olina. The  business  was  until  a  few  years  ago  conducted  under  the  firm  name 
of  T.  P.  Braswell  &  Son,  being  composed  of  two  partners,  the  late  loved  and 
lamented  father  of  the  present  proprietor  being  the  senior  member.  However, 
at  that  time  Mr.  M.  C.  Braswell  was  the  active  manager  of  the  business.  At  the 
death  of  the  senior  member,  the  business  passed  under  the  sole  proprietorship 
of  the  latter  and  he  has  continued  to  conduct  it  in  the  same  capable  manner. 
The  volume  of  business  done  annually  will  amount  to  a  quarter  million  dollars. 
As  a  supply  house,  it  ranks  second  to  none  in  Eastern  North  Carolina,  and  is 
one  of  the  largest  retail  dealers  in  fertilizers  in  the  State,  selling  more  than  3500 
tons  annually. 

No  man  in  this  section  of  the  State  is  held  in  higher  esteem  than  Mr.  M.  C. 
Braswell.  He  has  not  made  his  worldly  goods  by  grinding  down  his  fellow 
man,  but  by  dint  of  hard,  persistent  work,  combined  with  a  mind  that  is  acutely 
fitted  to  handle  business  problems.  In  fact,  Mr.  Braswell  has  been  successful 
in  practically  all  that  he  has  undertaken,  and  has  not  only  accumulated  wealth, 
but  his  lines  of  endeavor  have  always  been  broad  gauged,  and  he  has  been  ready 
and  willing  to  join  in  any  enterprise  than  would  help  build  larger  or  better  the 
community  in  which  he  has  lived.  Though  living  in  Battleboro  eight  miles 
from  Rocky  Mount,  he  owns  considerable  property  in  the  latter  city,  is  a  direc- 


183 


tor  in  a  large  number  of  business  institutions  in  this  city  and  a  stockholder  in  practically  every  corporation  gotten  up 
for  the  advancement  of  the  city.  Mr.  Braswell  is  also  a  large  planter.  He  is  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  in  Nash 
and  Edgecombe  counties  and  plants  cotton,  tobacco  and  peanuts  on  a  a  large  scale. 

Mr.  Braswell  has  two  brothers  living  in  Rocky  Mount,  Mr.  J.  C.  Braswell,  president  of  The  Planters  Bank  and 
Dr.  M.  R.  Braswell,  both  of  whom  have  been  mentioned  in  several  places  in  this  book,  as  they  also  have  been  identi- 
fied in  a  very  large  measure  with  the  wonderful  development  and  growth  of  Rocky  Mount.  In  fact,  the  three  brothers 
have  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  this  section  of  the  State.  They  have  what  is  seldom  found  combined,  the  means, 
the  ability  and  the  inclination  for  progress  and  by  bringing  these  combined  elements  into  operation  it  can  be  said 
without  question  that  they  have  exerted  by  far  the  largest  influence  in  the  growth  of  Rocky  Mount  of  any  one  family. 

Mr.  M.  C.  Braswell  was  married  in  1894  to  Miss  Alice  Bryant,  a  charming  and  cultured  woman,  and  a  member 
of  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  families  in  the  county.  They  live  in  truly  a  palatial  home,  a  picture  of  which  is 
shown  in  these  pages.     They  have  4  children. 


184 


RESIDENCE  OF  MR.  M.  C.  BRASWELL-at  Battleboro 


185 


THE  SAGAMORE  CLUB 


This  institution  is  the  most  popu- 
lar social  organization  in  the  city. 
It  has  handsome  club  rooms  on 
Main  Street,  and  its  membership 
is  composed  of  our  leading  citizens. 
It  is  purely  a  social  club  for  busi- 
ness men,  and  is  conducted  on  a 
high  plane — no  drinking  or  gamb- 
ling at  all  being  permitted.  It  has 
been  in  existence  nine  years,  is 
on  a  firm  foundation,  and  is  a 
credit  to  the  city. 


186 


MR.  D.  J.  ROSE, 
are  not  excelled  anywhere  for  the 


MR.  D.  J.  ROSE 

One  of    North    Carolina's    Largest   and  Best-Known 

Contractors.     Business  Extends  From    Delaware 

to  Florida.     Possesses  Invaluable  Reputation 

for  Reliability  and  Efficiency 

In  all  the  States  bordering  on  the  South  Atlantic  Coast,  in  which  he  operates, 
it  would  be  impossible  to  find  a  contractor  with  a  better  or  safer  reputation  for 
dependability,  thorough  efficiency  and  fidelity  than  Mr.  D.  J.  Rose,  of  Rocky 
Mount.  This  reputation  is  well  earned,  too,  and  has  been  built  up  by  years  of 
thorough  application,  hard  and  conscientious  work,  and  the  utmost  care  of  the 
interests  of  those  who  have  employed  him.  The  work  Mr.  Rose  has  done  has 
been  on  a  large  scale,  many  contracts  running  into  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars  before  completion.  It's  true,  also,  that  Mr.  Rose  has  done  a  multitude  of 
the  less  costly  but  hardly  less  important  work,  such  as  the  building  of  churches 
and  residences,  many  of  the  handsomest  in  the  Southeastern  States  having  been 
built  under  his  direction.  At  present  he  is  building  in  one  of  the  North  Carolina 
cities,  a  residence  for  a  prominent  railroad  official,  the  cost  of  which  will  run  to 
approximately  $25,000.00.  Here  in  Rocky  Mount  there  stand  as  monuments  to 
his  masterful  skill  as  a  builder  and  contractor,  among  others,  the  following,  which 
purpose   for  which   they   were   built,    to-wit:     The  Hotel  Ricks,  the  new  Shore 


187 


Building,  the  Masonic  Temple,  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  the  Five  Points  Drug  Store,  store  of  W.  D.  &  C.  A. 
Cochran,  the  new  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  Churches,  parts  of  The  Rocky  Mount  Mills,  The  Planters  Cotton 
Seed  Oil  Company's  factory,  the  Railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Rocky  Mount's  New  Passenger  Station,  and  various  others. 

But  by  far  the  most  of  Mr.  Rose's  work  has  been  done  on  the  larger  constructing  plane.  For  several  years  he 
has  been  employed  in  a  large  number  of  important  contracts  for  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad  Company  and  other 
mammoth  industrial  concerns  in  the  South  and  elsewhere.  The  great  Railroad  Shops,  at  South  Rocky  Mount,  the 
second  largest  in  the  South,  together  with  the  storage  and  office  buildings,  etc.,  (costing  upwards  of  $150,000.00), 
were  all  constructed  by  Mr.  Rose  with  the  exception  of  two  of  the  first  buildings.  Among  some  of  his  larger  con- 
tracts might  be  mentioned  the  great  Morris  Fertilizer  Factory,  which  cost  approximately  $200,000,  which  Mr.  Rose 
built  in  Atlanta  for  the  Morris  Packing  Company,  of  Chicago;  all  the  -buildings  in  connection  with  the  mines  of  the 
Florida  Phosphate  Mining  Co.,  at  Bartow,  Florida,  which  cost  upwards  of  $300,000.00;  the  big  factory  of  the  Dutton 
Phosphate  Co.,  at  Jacksonville,  Florida;  factories  for  the  great  Southern  fertilizer  company,  theF.  S.  Royster  Guano 
Co.,  of  Norfolk,  which  factories  cost  something  like  $750,000.00,  and  which  Mr.  Rose  built  for  this  great  concern  at 
Portsmouth,  Va.,  Tarboro,  N.  C,  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  Columbus,  Ga.,  Macon,  Ga.,  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and  Balti- 
more, Md..  the  factory  at  Baltimore  being  the  largest  in  the  South,  and  alone  cost,  complete,  about  $400,000.00;  and 
scores  of  others  of  equal  magnitude  all  over  the  Southeastern  States. 

Mr.  Rose  is  widely  known  as  not  only  a  man  who  completes  his  contracts,  large  or  small,  to  the  very  letter,  but 
a  big,  broad  man,  who  is  not  satisfied  until  his  patrons  have  received  absolute  satisfaction  to  the  last  detail.  The 
regard  in  which  he  is  held  by  a  number  of  the  largest  corporations  in  the  South,  and  indeed  all  over  the  country, 
who  award  him  contracts  year  after  year,  is  ample  proof  that  he  not  only  knows  his  business,  and  has  the  necessary 
financial  and  industrial  generalship  to  carry  out  satisfactorily  the  largest  contracts,  but  is  the  sort  of  man  who  carries 
his  conscience  into  his  business,  and  who  makes  every  yard  of  his  work,  honest  work,  good  for  not  only  the  present 
but  for  the  future.  It  has  become  so  that  the  only  bond  required  of  Mr.  Rose  is  the  reputation  he  has  won  by  his 
years  of  hard  work  and  uniformly  honest  and  honorable  business. 

Here  in  Rocky  Mount  no  citizen  is  more  highly  respected  or  influential.  Mr.  Rose's  life  since  he  came  to  what 
was  then  the  village  of  Rocky  Mount,  in  1892,  has  been  such  as  to  win  for  him  not  only  the  high  respect  but  the 
warm  regard  of  all  his  fellow-citizens.  For  several  terms  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  dis- 
charging his  duties  in  that  responsible  position  with  the  utmost  fidelity  and  usefulness  to  the  city.  He  is  at  present 
a  Director  in  the  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  President  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Brick  Co.,  and  is  interested  in  other  con- 
cerns of  worth- and  importance. 

188 


Mr.  Rose  is  a  native  of  Johnston  County,  this  State,  and  was  born  Nov.  27th,  1861.  His  parents  moved  to 
Wayne  County  when  he  was  seven  years  of  age,  and  there  he  was  reared  on  the  farm.  In  1888,  after  having 
received  a  good  academical  education,  Mr.  Rose  embarked  in  the  business  of  a  carpenter  and  builder  on  a  small  scale, 
gradually  building  and  branching  out,  and  entering  the  contracting  field  on  his  removal  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1892.  At 
different  times  Mr.  Rose  has  had  associated  with  him  in  his  contracting  business  Messrs.  W.  J.  Stephenson  and  S.  S. 
Toler.     At  present  he  is  the  sole  member  of  his  firm. 

It  is  well  known,  by  those  familiar  with  the  subject,  that  the  business  of  successful  contracting  and  building  is 
one  that  requires  a  high  order  of  business  ability  and  a  sound,  level  judgment  to  avoid  the  pitfalls  that  encompass  it. 
It  is  no  small  tribute  to  Mr.  Rose's  capacity  that  he  has  not  only  conducted  his  business  always  with  consistent  good 
faith  toward  all  concerned,  but  that  he  has  been  largely  successful  financially,  and  is  now  one  of  the  strong  men  of 
the  city,  speaking  in  a  financial  sense.  He  has  been  equal  to  every  emergency  that  has  arisen  in  his  wide-spread 
field  of  large  and  responsible  work,  and  the  impression  one  gains  of  him  at  first,  as  being  a  man  of  force  and  of  calm 
and  safe  judgment,  is  one  that  is  amply  corroborated  by  his  record.  His  offices  in  this  city  are  located  on  Rose 
Street,  (wtvch  street  was  named  for  him),  and  he  has  a  beautiful  and  commodious  residence  on  Lexington  Street. 

Mr.  Rose  has  been  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss  Anna  Woodall,  of  Smithfield,  in  1892,  and  the  second 
time  to  Miss  Vera  Benton,  also  of  Smithfield,  in  1900: 


189 


MR.  FRANK  A.  HAMPTON 

Attorney  At  Law,  One  of  The  Editors  of  This  Work, 

and  First  Vice-President  of  The  Rocky  Mount 

Chamber  of  Commerce 

(By  J.  H    HERBERT) 


MR.  FRANK  A.  HAMPTON. 


Mr.  Frank  Armfield  Hampton,  one  of  the  prominent  younger  members  of  the 
Rocky  Mount  Bar,  was  born  March  9,  1884,  at  Hamptonville,  Yadkin  County,  N. 
C,  which  has  been  the  home  of  his  ancestors  for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half. 
His  great-grandfather,  Henry  Hampton,  a  brother  of  the  first  General  Wade 
Hampton,  founded  the  town  of  Hamptonville  long  before  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  at  that  time  owned  a  vast  area  of  the  country  around. 

Mr.  Frank  A.  Hampton  is  the  second  son,  and  the  eldest  one  living,  of  Col. 
John  A.  Hampton,  a  gallant  Confederate  commander,  who  has  been  for  fortv 
years  a  leader  of  the  Bar  and  of  Democracy  and  decency  in  the  rock-ribbed 
Republican  county  of  Yadk.n,  being  the  only  straight  Democrat  who  has  carried 
that  county  on  a  legislative  ticket  since  the  Civil  War.  Mr.  Hampton's  grand- 
father, on  his  mother's  side,  was  the  celebrated  Baptist  pioneer  in  Western  North 
Carolina,  Rev.  William  Green  Brown,  and  three  of  his  uncles  were  distinguished 
Baptist  ministers,  one  of  them  being  Rev.  Dr.  S.  M.  Brown,  editor  and  founder  of 
the  Baptist  organ  of  Missouri  and  Kansas,  (The  Word  and  Way),  and  pastor  of  the 
Michigan  Avenue  Baptist  Church  of  Kansas  City. 

Mr.  Frank  A.  Hampton  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Yadkin  county, 
and  at  Yadkinville  Normal  School,  the  principal   of   which   is  the  well-known  and 


190 


beloved  Zeno  H.  Dixon,  brother  of  Senator  Dixon,  of  Montana.  Mr.  Hampton  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
county  at  different  times  for  four  years,  beginning  at  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  April,  1903,  he  went  to  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  remaining  there  some  time  in  newspaper  work,  holding  a  position  on  the  staff  of  the  Kansas  City  World,  (now 
the  Kansas  City  Post),  and  reading  law  at  odd  times.  Returning  to  North  Carolina,  he  accepted  a  position  on  the 
editorial  staff  of  The  Charlotte  Daily  News.  He  read  law  under  the  late  Chief  Justice,  David  M.  Furches,  and  Geo. 
B.  Nicholson,  Esq.,  at  Statesville,  N.  C,  reviewing  the  course  in  1909  under  Thaddeus  A.  Adams,  Esq.,  at  Char- 
lotte. He  stood  the  examination  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
August,  1909,  and  in  October  following,  came  to  Rocky  Mount  to  permanently  locate  for  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Since  his  early  boyhood,  Mr.  Hampton  has  been  an  active  worker  for  the  Democratic  party,  holding  by  inheri- 
tance and  by  deep  conviction,  a  strong  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  Democratic  principles  for  all  the  ills  and  problems  of 
government.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  one  of  the  active  organizers  of  White  Supremacy  Clubs  in  Yadkin  County, 
being  Secretary  of  two  of  them,  and  being  an  active  participant  in  the  pivotal  campaign  of  1900,  in  which  the  people 
of  the  west  rose  in  their  might  and  assisted  the  east  in  ratifying  the  Constitutional  Amendment,  eliminating  ignorant 
negro  suffrage. 

Mr.  Hampton's  life  since  coming  to  Rocky  Mount  has  been  one  of  clean  and  energetic  effort.  As  a  lawyer, 
he  is  building  up  a  practice  that  is  very  promising,  due  to  his  ability,  close  application,  untiring  industry  and  fidelity 
to  the  interests  of  his  clients.  Possessing  by  inheritance  a  great  love  and  respect  for  the  great  principles  and  high 
traditions  of  his  profession,  he  ever  proceeds  on  the  correct  idea  that  a  member  of  the  legal  profession  is,  ex  officio,  a 
public  servant,  carrying  grave  responsibilities  under  our  scheme  of  government  and  under  the  system  of  Juris- 
prudence that  has  been  handed  down  to  us  by  our  English  forefathers. 

In  addition  to  his  professional  work,  to  which  he  is  devoted,  Mr.  Hampton  is  the  Editor  of  The  Twin  County  Echo, 
one  of  the  leading  weekly  newspapers  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  is  First  Vice-President  and  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which  organization,  in  its  present  form,  he  was 
one  of  the  promoters  and  charter  members. 

Mr.  Hampton  was  married  December  23rd,  1906,  to  Miss  Luola  Moore,  of  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  a  member  of 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  families  of  that  city,  who  has  been  behind  her,  generations  of  refinement  and 
culture.     From  this  marriage  have  been  born  two  children,  both  girls,  now  one  and  three  years  old  respectively. 

Mr.  Hampton  is  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  this  city,  while  Mrs.  Hampton  is  a  member  of  the 
First  Presbyterian. 

191 


1  THIS  BOOK  1 

I  ....  $ 

w        Was  Printed  in  Its  Entirety,  Including  The  Cover,        Q 


-IN- 


1  THE  DAILY  RECORD  I 


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192 


CITIZENS  BUILDING  &  LOAN  ASSOCIATION. 


An  Institution  That  Is  Performing  A  Notable  Work  In  The  Building  Of  The 

City.   It's  Successful  History. 

In  the  modern  industrial  life  and  growth  of  a  city,  there  is  probably  no  agency  that  performs  a  greater  work 
than  the  well-conducted  building  and  loan  associations,  cultivating  as  they  do,  habits  of  saving  among  the  people,  and 
giving  people  of  small  incomes  an  opportunity  to  own  their  own  homes  and  become  independent.  They  also  furn- 
ish one  of  the  best  means  for  the  accumulation  and  investment  of  savings, 

The  Citizens  Building  &  Loan  Association  of  Rocky  Mount,  furnishes  an  excellent  example  of  institutions  of 
this  character.  It  is  only  four  years  old,  and  therefore  has  not  had  opportunity  to  mature  shares  as  yet,  but  has 
already  accomplished  a  vast  deal  towards  creating  home-owners  out  of  folks  who  ordinarily  would  find  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  ever  accumulate  sufficient  to  live  under  their  "own  vine  and  fig  tree".  Approximately  1700  shares  of  stock 
are  now  in  force,  which  is  a  very  satisfactory  record  indeed  for  the  first  four  years  of  growth,  and  as  the  association 
is  becoming  more  and  more  popular  as  the  opportunity  it  furnishes  is  becoming  better  understood,  the  number  of 
shares  is  rapidly  increasing.  The  association  has  already  built  about  thirty  homes  and  has  assisted  in  the  building  of 
quite  a  number  of  others.  This  work  cannot  be  too  highly  commended,  for  a  city  of  home-owners  is  the  ideal  state 
to  which  every  city  aspires. 

The  future  of  The  Citizens  Building  &  Loan  Association,  and  the  largest  possible  benefits  for  its  shareholders, 
are  absolutely  guaranteed  by  the  personnel  of  the  oFficials  and  the  board  of  directors.  One  need  only  glance  at  the 
list  of  officers  and  directors  to  recognize  that  it  is  composed  of  men  who,  largely  successful  in  their  own  private  busi- 
nesses, and  leaders  in  every  sphere  of  the  growth  of  the  city,  are  men  in  whose  keeping  any  reasonable  business  or 
institution  that  could  be  conceived,  would  be  bound  to  prosper.  The  officers  and  directors,  all  of  whom  serve  en- 
tirely without  pay  (with  the  exception  of  the  Secretary  &  Treasurer,  who  receives  only  a  nominal  salary  covering  his 
actual  expenses)  are  as  follows: 

President,  J.  C.  Braswell  (President  The  Planters  Bank.)  Vice-President  G.  G.  Levy  (Head  of  G.  G.  Levy  & 
Co.)  Secretary  &  Treasurer,  W.  S.  Wilkinson  (of  Wilkinson  Bulluck    &    Co.)  Attorneys,    J.    P.  Bunn  and  J.    B. 

193 


Ramsey  (President  First  National  Bank.)  Directors:  G.  G.  Levy,  T.  C.  Gorham,  Dr.  M.  R.  Braswell,  R.    S.    Gor- 
ham,  E.  J.  Gordon,  Geo.  S.  Edwards,  C.  L.  Gay,  T.  L.  Worsley,  W.  A.  Bulluck,  I.  W.  Rose,  J.  C.  Braswell. 

This  association  was  organized  in  May  1907.  It  has  never  lost  a  penny,  and  under  its  system  of  administration, 
cannot  lose  a  penny  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case.  Before  any  loan  is  made,  as  is  well  known,  the  proposed  loan 
is  subjected  to  the  closest  scrutiny  by  the  directors,  is  passed  upon  by  the  officers  and  attorneys,  and  the  chain  of 
title  traced  back  to  a  point  that  absolutely  guarantees  it  to  be  without  a  flaw.  No  admission  fee  is  charged  the  share- 
holders, and  while  every  safeguard  is  thrown  around  their  investment,  every  effort  is  also  exerted  to  keep  every  dollar 
at  work  and  earn  for  them  the  highest  possible  returns.  The  association  extends  a  warm  invitation  to  every  citizen 
within  its  territory  to  become  a  shareholder,  as  it  is  entirely  a  mutual  concern  with  no  private  profit,  the  shareholders 
getting  every  cent  of  the  profits  above  the  necessary  expenses  which  are  reduced  to  a  minimum  in  every  respect. 
The  association  operates  only  within  Rocky  Mount  and  the  Rocky  Mount  Road  District,  thus  enabling  the  directors 
to  have  every  investment  under  their  direct  inspection  and  supervision  at  all  times. 


194 


MR.  H.  DEMPT. 


MR.  H.  DEMPT 


Rocky  Mount's  Artistic  And  Modern  Photographer. 


The  pictures  in  this  book  were  made  by  Mr.  Harry  Dempt,  one  of  the  best  and 
most  up-to-date  photographers  in  the  state.  Mr.  Dempt  is  the  proprietor  and 
manager  of  "The  Studio",  on  Main  Street,  which  has  become  noted  in  Eastern 
North  Carolina  for  work  that  represents  the  best  and  most  skillful  in  modern 
photography.  Besides  his  photographic  work,  Mr.  Demp  has  recently  installed  a 
splendidly  equipped  department  for  kodak  finishing  for  his  city  and  out-of-town 
kodak  patronage,  and  with  his  modern  and  complete  equipment  is  enabled  to  turn  out 
this  class  of  work  within  the  shortest  possible  time.  He  also  has  a  department  for 
enlarging  pictures,  and  does  high-class  portrait  work  in  water-color,  sepia,  crayon 
and  pastel.  One  of  his  specialties  is  the  better  class  of  commercial  work,  such  as 
photographing  buildings,  interiors,  groups  and  the  like.  Mr.  Dempt's  portrait 
work  is  the  last  word  in  art  and  perfect  likeness  making.  His  studio  is  equipped 
with  all  the  modern  and  expensive  adjuncts  necessary  for  the  highest  class  of 
work,  and  his  experience  and  excellent  training  admirably  fit  him  for  his  duties. 
He  is  constantly  adding  new  appliances  and  equipment,  and  striving  to  keep 
thoroughly  abreast  with  the  most  modern  ideas  and  knowledge  in  the  art  of  photo- 
graphy. 

Mr.  Dempt  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Nov.  17,  1880,  and  studied  photography 
and  portrait-making  under  the  celebrated  Louis  Blaul  of  that  city,  and  also  under 
Chilman,  the  great  artist  of  "The  City  of  Brotherly  Love."  For  several  years 
pricr  to  his  coming  to  Rocky  Mount,  he  was  engaged  in  work  in  the  studio  of  the 
famous  Blaul,  rising  before  his  departure  to  the  highest  position  there.     He   came 


195 


to  Rocky  Mount  in  Sept.  1906,  having  definitely  decided  to  make  Rocky  Mount  his  permanent  home.  His  success 
here  in  his  chosen  life-work  has  been  very  gratifying,  not  only  to  himself  but  to  a  wide  circle  of  friends  he  has  won 
by  his  blameless  and  useful  life  since  coming  to  the  city. 

Mr.  Dempt  is  an  active  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  is  Secretary  &  Treasurer 
of  the  Presbyterian  Sunday  School. 

His  assistant  in  "The  Studio,"  is  Miss  Elizabeth  Kaylor,  a  gifted  and  popular  young  lady,  who  has  within  the 
few  years  she  has  been  engaged  in  the  work,  become  herself  very  proficient  in  the  photographic  art.  Miss  Kaylor 
is  a  native  of  Morganton  N.  C. 


196 


MR.  CHARLES  C.  COOPER 

President  and  General  Manager  of  the  C.  C.  Cooper 

Tobacco  Co.,    Operators    of    the    Old    Reliable 

Coopers  Warehouse,  and  a  Pioneer  of  the 

Rocky  Mount  Tobacco  Market.   A  Man 

of  Forceful  Personality  and  High 

Character 


MR.  C.  C.  COOPER 


It  is  a  pleasant  task  that  the  writer  has  before  him  in  giving  a  description 
of  a  tobacco  warehouse  business  that  lacks  only  a  few  years  of  being  as  old  as  the 
Rocky  Mount  Tobacco  Market  itself,  for  truly  he  believes  that  no  words  of  praise 
of  the  business  itself,  or  of  the  personality  behind  it,  can  be  too  fulsome.  The 
business  referred  to  is  the  C.  C.  Cooper  Tobacco  Company,  and  the  personality  is 
Mr.  C.  C.  Cooper,  the  President  and  founder  of  the  concern. 

Mr.  Cooper  is  a  pioneer  of  the  local  market,  having  become  a  tobacconist  in 
1890,  the  first  year  of  the  market.  Having  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
warehouse  business  he  opened  a  warehouse  of  his  own  in  the  year  1894,  the 
warehouse  being  the  one  of  which  he  is  at  present  the  head,  and  of  which  he  has 
been  the  head  since  he  first  began  to  conduct  a  warehouse  business.  The  first 
year  he  operated  a  warehouse  he  sold  more  pounds  of  tobacco  than  any  other 
warehouseman,  and  he  has  done  so  every  year  since,  including  last  year.     He  has 


197 


always  claimed  that  he  not  only  led  the  market  in  number  of  pounds  sold,  but  that  tobacco  has  sold  for  more  money 
on  his  floor  than  on  any  other.  It  would  seem  that  these  statements  should  be  related,  that  there  would  have  to 
be  some  good  reason  why  he  sold  more  tobacco  than  any  of  his  competitors,  and  it  would  seem  a  very  reasonable 
cause  would  be  that  he  led  in  prices  as  well  as  pounds.  Mr.  Cooper  is  distinctly  a  Nash  County  product,  not  only 
claiming  Nash  County  as  his  native  heath,  but  tracing  his  ancestors  for  several  generations  back  to  Nash  County 
soil.  He  was  born  at  the  old  Cooper  homestead  in  Griffin's  Township,  the  home  being  more  than  two  hundred 
years  old,  put  together  with  wooden  pegs,  nails  not  having  then  been  invented.  Mr.  Cooper's  father  was 
honored  by  Nash  County  as  are  few  citizens  in  any  county.  He  was  Sheriff  for  about  twenty  years,  and  when  he 
became  too  old  to  fulfill  the  exacting  duties  of  that  office  he  was  further  honored  by  being  elected  Treasurer,  which 
office  he  filled  for  several  years.  Mr.  C.  C.  Cooper  came  of  good  stock,  and  anyone  who  comes  in  contact  with  his 
strong  personality  recognizes  this  fact  without  having  to  be  so  informed.  He  is  a  strong  man  physically  and  men- 
tally. His  vision  of  life  is  broad.  He  not  only  gives  evidence  of  loving  to  live  an  active,  virile  life  himself,  but  he 
has  proven  that  he  likes  to  see  those  around  him  prosper  and  enjoy  living,  by  having  given  untold  hundreds  assist- 
ance at  times  when  they  most  needed  encouragement,  not  only  by  words  but  material  help.  He  has  thus  made 
strong  friends  who  have  stuck  to  him  in  his  business  for  years,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  as  long  as  Charlie  Cooper 
remains  in  the  warehouse  business,  for  the  average  man  values  a  true  friend,  and  not  one  can  accuse  Charlie  Cooper 
of  not  sticking  loyally  to  his  friends. 

One  strong  evidence,  of  Mr.  Cooper's  fairness  and  kind  treatment  to  his  fellow  man  is  proven  by  the  way  his 
employes  stick  to  him.  There  is  strong  testimony  of  his  sense  of  fairness  in  the  fact  that  every  one  of  his  present 
clerical  and  managerial  force  have  been  with  him  continually  ever  since  they  first  accepted  positions  with  him. 

This  force  consists  of  Mr.  O.  B.  Harris,  Bookkeeper,  who  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  business  and  whose  pleasure 
it  is  to  see  that  every  sale  and  account  is  accurately  recorded;  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Smithson,  Jr.,  Floor  Manager,  who  is 
an  ideal  and  competent  man  for  that  responsible  position;  Mr.  J.  Dorsey  Nelms,  Auctioneer,  who  can  cry  tobacco  to 
the  top  notch,  and  Mr.  L.  C.  Morris,  an  able  tobacconist  who  is  Assistant  Manager  of  the  company.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  man  in  the  tobacco  business  in  Eastern  Carolina  has  more  competent  or  more  loyal  assistants  than  has  Mr. 
Cooper  in  the  above  named  force. 

All  in  all,  the  Cooper  Warehouse  scintillates  the  personality  of  the  founder  of  the  business,  who  will  not  have  an 
incompetent  employee  or  one  who  will  not  treat  each  and  every  customer  with  every  courtesy  and  consideration. 
Mr.  Cooper  recognizes  that  it  takes  a  competent  supervision  of  sales  to  see  that  every  customer's  tobacco  brings  the 

198 


very  lop   market  price  at  the  time  the  tobacco  is  sold  and  also  that  men  who  have  sense  to  do  this,  have  sense 
enough  to  know  how  to  make  it  pleasant  for  the  customers. 

Mr.  Charles  C.  Cooper  was  born,  as  stated  in  the  foregoing  near  Hilliardston  on  the  old  Cooper  homestead, 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  was  Feb.  9,  1866.  His  mother  was  a  Battle  of  the  family  of  that  name  prominent  in  Nash 
county  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  and  more.  Mr.  Cooper's  maternal  great-great-grandfather  was  Mr.  Lawrence 
Battle  who  came  to  Nash  county  direct  from  England,  and  settled  on  Swift  Creek  prior  to  1750,  where  the  old  home- 
stead now  stands.  The  name  Lawrence  is  a  marked  family  name,  Mr.  C.  C.  Cooper's  uncle,  Mr.  Lawrence  Battle 
who  lives  near  Gold  Rock,  now  bearing  it.  Mr.  Cooper's  early  boyhood  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm  (which  has 
been  in  the  family  for  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  and  which  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Cooper's  brother)  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty,  he  went  to  Henderson,  N.  C.  where  he  worked  in  the  tobacco  warehouse  business  two  years  with 
Mr.  D.  Y.  Cooper,  there  gaining  his  first  experience  in  the  business  in  which  he  has  since  become  so  powerful  and 
influential.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  1890,  serving  first  as  bookkeeper,  and  then  successively  in  almost  every 
position  in  the  warehouse  business,  gaining  experience  which  has  been  invaluable  to  him  in  his  subsequent   career. 


199 


WAREHOUSE  OF  C.  C.  COOPER  TOBACCO  COMPANY 


200 


MR.  W.  T.  ROSE. 


W.  T.  ROSE  &  SON. 

Rocky  Mount's  Leading  Manufacturers  of  Bug- 
gies, Carrriages,   Wagons,    And    Vehicles 
Of  All  Kinds. 

This  concern  has,  within  the  past  few  years, 
become  one  of  the  leading  businesses  of  its  kind 
in  this  part  of  the  State.  Besides  manufacturing 
all  kinds  of  high  grade  vehicles,  such  as  buggies, 
carriages,  wagons,  etc.,  they  have  one  of  the 
most  complete  and  best  equipped  repair  depart- 
ments to  be  found  anywhere  in  this  section,  and 
also  carry  a  full  line  of  harness,  buggy,  wagon 
and  carriage  accessories,  conducting  a  large 
retail  store  for  this  department  of  the  business. 
Their  repair  department  is  equipped  with  all  the 
latest  processes,  including  the  method  of  cold 
shrinkage  of  tires  and  other  new  processes 
recently  introduced.  The  business  is  located  on 
Tarboro  and  Washington  Streets,  reaching  from 
one  street  to  the  other.  Plans  have  been  pre- 
pared and  about  June  1st  they  will  begin  the 
erection  of  a  new,  four-story,  modern  brick 
factory  for  the  manufacture  of  their  well-known 
line  of  vehicles.  This  factory  will  be  thoroughly 
fitted  up  with  all  necessary   machinery   and  ap- 


MR.  HOWARD  L    ROSE 


201 


pliances,  and  will  contain  approximately  eleven  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space.  It  will  be  located  on  Tarboro 
Street,  adjoining  the  present  buildings. 

This  firm  is  composed  of  Mr.  W.  T.  Rose  and  his  son,  Mr.  Howard  L.  Rose.  Mr.  W.  T.  Rose  was  born 
December  31,  1863  in  Edgecombe  County,  near  Battleboro,  and  was  married  October  10,  1888,  to  Miss  Fannie 
Farmer,  of  the  prominent  Wilson  County  family  of  that  name.  He  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  line  of  business 
practically  all  his  life,  since  he  left  the  farm  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  is  one  of  the  best  informed  and  most 
competent  buggy  manufacturers  in  the  State.  Mr.  Howard  L.  Rose,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in 
Wilson,  N.  C,  July  13,  1889,  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Rocky  Mount,  and  received  a  business  education  at  a 
noted  business  college  of  Richmond,  Va.  Having  been  identified  with  his  father's  business  practically  all  his  life, 
young  Mr.  Rose  possesses,  even  now,  a  thorough  and  intricate  knowledge  of  the  business,  and  is  entirely  conver- 
sant with  every  process  used  in  the  different  departments.  He  became  a  partner  in  the  business  on  January  1,  191 1, 
and  his  good  ability  and  progressive  spirit  promise  to  be  of  great  value  in  the  enlargement  of  the  scope  of  the 
concern,  and  of  the  business  field,  which  is  now  in  progress. 

The  manufacturing  department  of  this  business  was  founded  in  1900  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Rose,  who  for  five  or  six 
years  prior  thereto  had  been  conducting  a  general  repair  business.  The  growth  of  the  manufacturing  end  has  been 
rapid  and  substantial,  each  year  adding  to  the  fine  reputation  of  the  vehicles  turned  out  by  this  concern.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  probably  no  business  in  Rocky  Mount  has  a  brighter  or  more  promising  future  than  the  firm  of 
W.  T.  Rose  &  Son,  and  on  the  completion  of  their  new  factory,  which  will  be  within  a  few  months,  and  the  conse- 
quent enlargement  of  facilities  incident  thereto,  the  extension  of  their  business  over  Eastern  North  Carolina  and 
adjoining  states  will  be  a  natural  result.  The  usefulness  of  such  an  institution  in  the  building  of  a  greater  Rocky 
Mount  will  be  readily  recognized. 


202 


PLANT  OF  THE  BATTLEBORO  OIL  COMPANY 

203 


BATTLEBORO  OIL  COMPANY 


An  Excellently    Managed   and    Distinctly   Successful 
Manufacturing  Institution  of  Battleboro 


MR.  J.  P.  BUNN,  Manager. 


In  the  summer  of  nineteen  hundred  and  two,  several  prominent  planters  of 
the  Battleboro  section,  appreciating  the  need  of  a  ginnery,  oil  mill  and  fertilizer 
factory,  met  together,  and  after  securing  the  consent  of  Mr.  M.  C.  Braswell  to 
become  its  manager,  there  was  organized  the  Battleboro  Oil  Company.  The 
company  was  incorporated  for  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  the  strck  issued 
in  fifty  dollar  shares,  and  every  cent  of  it  was  paid  in  in  cash.  At  the  first  meeting 
Mr.  M.  C.  Braswell  was  named  as  president,  with  Messrs.  J.  B.  Phillips,  H.  B. 
Bryan  and  C.  F.  Ellen  as  directors,  and  though  nearly  ten  years  has  elapsed  since 
this  first  meeting,  the  wisdom  of  the  first  selection  was  shown  in  that  there  has 
never  an  officer  been  changed. 

October  of  the  year  of  organization  found  the  new  oil  mill  in  operation,  with 
what  is  known  as  a  System  ginnery  and  oil  mill  combined.  That  season,  though 
an  infant  industry  in  Battleboro,  there  were  fifteen  hundred  bales  of  cotton  ginned 
and  over  two  thousand  tons  of  cotton  seed  crushed.  At  the  present  time,  or  nine 
years  later,  finds  this  company  enjoying  a  large  and  growing  business,  despite 
materially  increased  competition,  and  for  the  season  just  closed  three  thousand 
bales  of  cotton  have  been  ginned  and  over  six  thousand  tons  of  cotton  seed  crushed 
— in  other  words,  the  Battleboro  Oil  Company  has  a  modern  and  up-to-date 
ginnery  and  a  forty-ton  mill,  complete. 


204 


Throughout  the  nine  years  of  phenominal  growth,  Mr.  M.  G.  Braswell,  as  general  manager,  has  beeri  actively 
connected  at  all  times  with  this  firm,  and  his  guiding  hand  and  wise  council  has  contributed  in  a  large  measure  to 
the  company's  growth.  Mr.  J.  P.  Bunn  is  acting  manager  ai  all  times,  and  his  taking  care  of  the  many  details  of 
the  business  has  caused  him  to  be  numbered  as  one  of  the  best  in  this  section  of  the  State,  so  far  as  mill  manage- 
ment is  concerned. 

While  the  success  of  this  business  has  been  a  matter  of  pride  to  rrlariy  who  have  Watched  its  growth,  with  this, 
as  with  many  other  enterprizes  in  which  Mr.  Braswell  has  been  a  directing  force,  almost  unprecedented  success  has 
crowned  his  efforts.  In  the  world  of  farming,  manufacturing  and  finance,  he  is  a  moving  p~Wer  in  affairs  in  Caro- 
lina, and  especially  in  the  Counties  of  Nash  and  Edgecombe.  It  will  be  noted  with  interest  the  number  of  success^ 
ful  and  representative  firms  that  include  in  their  directorate  this  farmer,  merchant  and  manufacturer. 


205 


MR.  JAMES  W.  KEEL 

Special  Attorney  for  A.  C.  L.  Railroad  Company 

James  Walter  Keel,  one  of  the  younger  members  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Bar, 
and  the  subject  of  this -sketch,  is  a  native  of  Pitt  County,  and  was  born  Nov.  1, 
1875.  Mr.  Keel  was  reared  on  the  farm.  He  attended  the  school  of  Prof.  Z. 
D.  McWhorter,  at  Eethel,  N.  C,  and  Wilkinson's  Male  Academy,  at  Tarboro, 
of  which  the  principal  was  Mr.  F.  S.  Wilkinson,  one  of  the  most  noted  educa- 
tors of  this  section.  Leaving  school,  Mr.  Keel  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness with  his  brother  at  Mt.  Olive,  N.  C,  remaining  there  two  years.  In  1901 
he  entered  the  United  States  Mail  Service,  winning  his  position  by  competitive 
examination,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  in  the  office  of  the  General  Superintendent 
of  the  service  in  Washington,  D.  C.  For  eight  years  Mr.  Keel  remained  in  the 
government  service  in  various  branches,  and  in  the  meantime  took  up  the  study 
of  law  under  private  tutors.  He  went  before  the  Supreme  Court  in  August, 
1908,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  Resigning  from  the  mail  service  he  located 
in  Rocky  Mount  for  the  practice  of  his  profession.  By  his  excellent  ability  and 
diligence  in  his  work,  he  had  built  up  a  lucrative  practice,  considering  the  short 
time  he  had  been  at  the  Bar,  when  in  July,  1910,  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Rail- 
road Company,  recognizing  his  ability,  appointed  him  Special  Attorney  for  that 
railroad,  in  which  capacity  he  is  now  serving,  rendering  the  railroad  valuable 
and  satisfactory  service. 


MR.  JAMES  W.  KEEL. 


206 


MR.  Z.  B.  BULLUCK      ^hacknevbras^ 

MEMORIAL  LIBMW 

A  Capable  and  Aggressive  Young  Business  Man  Who  Has  Made  ?(8(Notable 
Success.     Proprietor  and  Operator  of  The  Leading  Meat  Market 

of  Rocky  Mount 

One  of  the  most  marked  successes  achieved  within  the  past  decade  by  the  younger  business  men  of  Rocky  Mount 
is  that  of  Mr.  Zebulon  B.  Bulluck,  the  subject  of  this  story.  Mr.  Bulluck  entered  the  meat  market  business  in  this 
city  just  six  years  ago,  in  the  summer  of  1905.  From  a  small  beginning,  he  has  grown  until  today  he  numbers  his 
patrons  by  the  hundreds  among  the  most  select  circles  of  the  city.  This  has  been  achieved  principally  by  means  of 
Mr.  Bulluck's  unusually  good  business  ability  reinforced  by  the  facts  that  he  is  ever  careful  to  treat  every  customer 
with  the  utmost  consideration,  and  makes  it  a  point  to  always  handle  the  best  and  freshest  meats  on  the  market. 
The  much  sought  after  native  meat  is  a  specialty  of  his.  He  is  also  at  this  time  a  large  buyer  of  hides  and  furs,  and 
on  account  of  the  present  large  volume  of  business,  carries  several  competent  and  courteous  assistants. 

Mr.  Bulluck's  financial  success  has  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of  his  meat  business.  Within  the  past  few  years, 
he  has  been  a  considerable  buyer  of  the  best  class  of  Rocky  Mount  real  estate  and  today  his  holdings  would  doubtless 
reach  upwards  of  Twenty  Thousand  Dollars.  He  is  also  a  valued  and  influential  stockholder  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  the  only  national  bank  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Bulluck  comes  of  sturdy  and  prominent  Edgecombe  county  stock.  He  was  born  in  Edgecombe  a  few  miles 
from  Rocky  Mount,  April  9,  1884,  and  is  therefore  now  only  27  years  old  which  makes  his  large  financial  success 
all  the  more  notable  and  surprising  to  have  achieved  so  much  at  so  early  an  age.  Mr.  Bulluck  was  married  some 
years  ago  to  Miss  Foy  Williams,  an  attractive  and  gifted  lady  whose  home  was  at  Maxton,  N.  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bulluck  have  a  modern  and  beautiful  residence  at  230  Rose  Street  in  one  of  the  best  residential  sections  of  the  city, 
where  they  dispense  hospitality  to  their  large  and  increasing  circle  of  friends. 

In  the  business  world  of  Rocky  Mount  and  this  part  of  the  state,  Mr.  Bulluck,  on  account  of  the  fine  qualities  he 

207 


possesses  and  his  marked  business  and  financial  success,  has  attained  quite  an 
enviable  standing,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  no  man  in  Rocky  Mount 
has  a  brighter  future  both  in  a  business  way,  and  in  the  way  of  being  a  useful 
citizen  and  contributing  to  the  onward   march  of  Rocky  Mount. 

The  telephone  numbers  of  Mr.  Bulluck's  business  place  which  is  in  the  City 
Hall,  are  51  and  395. 


MR.  Z.  B.  BULLUCK 


RESIDENCE  OF  MR.  Z.  B.  BULLUCK 

208 


MR.  S.  S.  TOLER. 

One  of  Rocky  Mount's  Most  Substantial  And  Highly 

Esteemed  Citizens,  And  A  Contractor  And  Builder 

of  Wide  And  Well  Established  Reputation. 

Among  the  contractors  and  builders  of  Eastern  Carolina,  two  whose  reputation 
for  capability  and  conscientious  work  is  not  excelled  by  any,  are  Messrs.  D.  J. 
Rose  and  S.  S.  Toler,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  for  a  number  of  years  were 
associated  in  the  business  together.  A  sketch  of  Mr.  Rose  is  given  elsewhere  in 
this  book,  and  it  is  our  pleasant  task  here  to  tell  something  of  Mr.  Toler.  Messrs. 
Rose  andToler  recently  dissolved  copartnership,  but  each  remains  in  the  same  line 
of  business.  It  would  be  difficult  to  say  anything  good  of  one  that  is  not  deserved 
by  the  other  also,  for  both  are  men  whose  large  successes  have  been  well  earned, 
and  whose  names  stand  for  the  highest  merit,  and  ability  in  the  Southern  contract- 
ing field. 

Mr.  Toler  is  a  native  of  Johnston  County,  N.  C,  and  was  born  Feb.  26,  1869. 
He  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  remained  in  his  vocation  of  farming  until  he  was 
22  years  of  age,  when  he  accepted  a  position  with  Mr.  Rose  in  the  contracting  and 
building  business.  So  rapid  was  his  development  and  so  honest  and  capable  his 
work,  that  in  1900,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm.  The  wide  success  and  mag- 
nificent record  of  this  firm  both  in  Rocky  Mount  and  all  over  the  South  is  too  well 
known  to  need  enlargement  here.  It  suffices  to  say  that  they  have  built  a  repu- 
tation for  successful  and  satisfactory  handling  of  contracts  from  the  largest  to  the 
small  ones,  that  extends  all  the  way  from   Deleware  to   Florida.     Here  in  Rocky 

The  business  of  the    firm    was  so 


MR.  S.  S.  TOLER 
Mount,  they  have  erected  buildings  of  the  best  class  too  numerous  to  mention. 


209 


large  that  a  separate  department  had  to  be  assigned  to  each  member  of  the  firm,  Mr.  Toler  being  usually  the  man  in 
active  charge  of  the  construction.  Among  the  buildings  erected  here  of  which  he  had  charge,  might  be  mentioned, 
the  shops  at  South  Rocky  Mount,  the  Hales  &  Edwards  building,  the  residence  of  Judge  Taylor,  the  Masonic  Tem- 
ple, the  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  building,  the  Shore  Building,  the  store  of  W.  D.  &  C.  A.  Cochran,  the  Ricks  Hotel, 
the  Cambridge  Hotel,  and  numerous  others  that  rank  among  the  best  in  Eastern  Carolina.  Mr.  Toler's  construction 
work,  as  has  been  stated,  has  extended  all  over  the  southeastern  states,  including  factories  for  the  F.  S.  Royster 
Guano  Co.,  the  Dutton  Phosphate  Works  for  the  Dutton  Phosphate  Co.,  at  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  and  numbers  of  build- 
ings the  completion  of  which  called  for  the  expenditure  of  money  running  into  the  hundreds  of  thousands. 

In  every  case,  Mr.  Toler  has  conclusively  proven  that  he  was  equal  to  the  situation,  and  knows  how  to  satisfac- 
torily complete  the  largest  contracts,  and  moreover,  that  he  knows  how  to  handle  men.  One  thing  that  has  been 
characteristic  of  his  work  and  partly  accounts  for  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  business  firms  and  cor- 
porations for  which  he  has  worked,  is  the  fact  that  he  so  constructs  his  buildings  and  other  works,  not  only  that  they 
may  be  satisfactory  now,  but  that  in  the  future  they  may  still  plainer  evidence  that  every  foot  of  work  put  in  them 
was  honest  work.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  therefore,  that  Mr.  Toler's  services  are  in  such  great  demand  by 
interests  large  and  small  over  several  states. 

Here  in  Rocky  Mount,  Mr.  Toler  is  known,  as  not  only  one  of  the  best  contractors  in  the  business,  but  as  a 
useful  and  influential  citizen,  and  a  man  of  the  highest  character,  possessing  the  entire  confidence  of  his  business  as- 
sociates, and  of  the  whole  city.  Every  year  since  his  coming  to  Rocky  Mount,  in  1902,  he  has  grown  in  the  esteem 
of  his  fellow-citizens,  as  they  have  come  to  know  him  better.  He  has  a  handsome  residence  on  Rose  Street  in  one 
of  the  best  residential  sections  of  the  city,  where  he  and  Mrs.  Toler  reside.  Mrs.  Toler  was  formerly  Miss  Carrie 
Stevens  of  Goldsboro,  and  was  married  to  Mr.  Toler  thirteen  years  ago.     They  have  two  children. 

Financial  success  has  followed  business  success  with  Mr.  Toler,  and  he  has  won  a  very  comfortable  share  of 
this  world's  goods.  To  those  who  know  him  and  whom  he  has  contracted  with,  his  word  is  his  bond,  they  could 
ask  no  better  bond,  as  he  has  conclusively  proven  that  he  is  able  financially  and  in  every  other  way,  to  carry  out  to 
the  letter  any  contract  he  desires  to  accept.  Those  whom  he  consents  to  serve,  may  count  themselves  fortunate, 
for  he  is  a  man  who  not  only  fulfills  his  contracts  in  every  respect,  but  carries  with  him  a  fixed  determination  to  ren- 
der satisfaction  in  every  particular  to  the  end  that  the  coming  years  may  prove  his  work  to  be  even  better  than  at 
first  appeared. 

Personally,  Mr.  Toler  impresses  one  as  a  man  of  strong  and  forceful  personality,  and  solid  merits  of  character. 
This  first  impression  is  intensified  by  closer  acquaintance,  for  his  whole  life  proves  the  correctness  of  it. 

210 


HON.  WILLIAM  L.  THORP. 


Attorney  At  Law,  Judge  Of  the   County    Court    Of    Nash    County    And    Ex- 
Mayor  Of  Rocky  Mount. 


HON.  W.  L.  THORP 


Judge  Wm.  Lewis  Thorp,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  prominent  Nash  County  families,  which  has  been  closely  identified 
with  and  influential  in  county  affairs  for  generations.  Judge  Thorp  was  born  at 
the  old  Thorp  place  in  Nash  County,  three  miles  from  Rocky  Mount,  on  October 
26,1848.  He  took  his  law  course  under  the  late  Chief  Justice  Richmond  M. 
Pearson,  one  of  the  most  eminent  Jurists  and  teachers  of  law  that  North  Carolina 
has  ever  produced.  Being  duly  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1870,  on  examination  by 
the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina,  Judge  Thorp  located  in  Rocky  Mount  for 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  Soon  thereafter,  he  purchased  The  Rocky  Mount 
Mail,  a  newspaper,  which  he  edited  for  four  years.  Ill  health  coming  on,  he 
thought  it  best  to  sell  his  newspaper,  give  up  his  practice  temporarily,  and  move  to 
a  farm  which  he  purchased  at  Hilliardston.  Here  he  lived  ten  years,  in  a  measure 
recovering  his  health,  and  then  moved  to  Nashville,  the  county  seat,  in  Jan.  1888, 
and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  the  campaign  of  that  year,  Judge 
Thorp  was  Chairman  of  the  Nash  County  Democratic  Executive  Committee, 
waging  an  aggressive  campaign,  and  converting  a  considerable  Republican  majority 
in  1886  into  a  tremendous  Democratic  majority  in  1888.  In  1889,  he  moved  his 
law  office  back  to  Rocky  Mount  for  permanent  location. 

On  the  resignation  of  Mayor  Thomas  H.  Battle  in  1894,  Judge  Thorp  was 
elected  to  the  Mayoralty  of  Rocky  Mount  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners,  and 
was  re-elected  year  by  year  by  the  people  in  1895,  1896and  1897.  In  1898,  Judge 
Thorp  announced  months  in  advance  that  he  would  not  again  be   a  candidate   for 


211 


re-election,  and  in  the  campaign  of  that  year  he  supported  Mr.  J.  H.  Baker,  Jr.,  who  was  duly  elected.  Mr.  Baker 
served  three  terms,  and  in  1901  Judge  Thorp  was  again  called  from  his  retirement  by  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount, 
and  was  again  elected  Mayor  of  the  City.  So  ably  and  satisfactorily  did  he  administer  the  duties  of  his  position  that 
he  was  re-elected  continuously  until  1909,  when  he  again  announced,  months  in  advance  that  he  would  not  accept 
re-election,  having  served  in  all,  twelve  years  as  chief  executive  of  the  city.  He  was  succeeded  as  Mayor  in  1909  by 
Hon.  T.  T.  Thorne.  For  two  years  thereafter  Judge  Thorp  devoted  his  entire  time  to  his  large  law  practice,  but  in 
Aprii,  1911,  just  past,  he  was  again  called  to  public  life  by  his  election  as  County  Judge  (styled  "Recorder")  of  Nash 
County,  in  which  responsible  office  he  is  now  serving  the  people  of  his  native  county  with  his  characteristic  fairness, 
fine  legal  ability,  and  with  honor  to  the  judiciary. 

For  over  twenty  years  Judge  Thorpe  has  been  closely  identified  with  a  number  of  the  most  important  business 
organizations  of  Rocky  Mount.  He  assisted  in  the  organization  several  years  ago  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  & 
Realty  Company,  one  of  the  largest  real  estate  and  insurance  concerns  in  Eastern  Carolina,  and  he  has  been  since  its 
organization,  a  director  in,  and  Attorney  for,  that  organization. 

Judge  Thorp  has  been  twice  married;  the  first  time  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Arrington,  daughter  of  Hon.  A.  H.  Arring- 
ton,  of  Nash  County,  by  which  marriage  he  had  four  children,  only  two  of  whom  reached  maturity,  Archibald 
Arrington  Thorp,  who  after  attaining  manhood  died  in  1907,  and  Miss  Virginia,  who  married  Mr.  R.  H.  Gregory, 
and  who  died  in  1903.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  in  April,  1883,  Judge  Thorpe  was  married  the  second  time, 
in  1885,  to  Miss  Mildred  B.  Holmes,  daughter  of  Mr.  Gabriel  Holmes,  of  Sampson  County,  and  of  this  marriage  he 
had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  living,  Misses  Mary  and  Mildred  and  Mr.  William  L.  Thorp  Jr. 

The  Editors  of  this  work  take  great  pleasure  in  having  an  opportunity  here  to  give  expression  to  the  high  respect 
and  regard  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount  and  of  this  whole  section  have  for  Judge  Thorp,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
fine  ability  and  worthful  and  honorable  public  service,  but  also  on  account  of  his  stainless  private  life  and  the  many 
engaging  traits  which  he  possesses  that  have  endeared  him  to  a  host  of  friends.  As  evidence  of  his  popularity  among 
all  classes  of  people,  it  might  be  stated  here  that  in  all  his  career  he  has  never  been  defeated  for  any  public  position 
to  which  he  has  aspired.  Considering  his  wide  popularity,  backed  up  as  it  has  been  by  splendid  ability,  the  large  and 
lucrative  practice  which  Judge  Thorp  enjoys  is  therefore  not  surprising. 

Judge  Thorp's  law  offices  are  in  the  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount  building,  next  to  the  City  Hall.  He  is  known  as  a  safe 
counsellor,  well  versed  in  the  intricate  knowledge  of  the  law,  and  one  who  safeguards  the  interests  of  his  wide  clientele 
with  the  most  absolute  fidelity  and  care.  His  clients  are  numbered  among  the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the  poor, 
and  all  receive -the  same  high  service  and  courteous  consideration  at  his  hands. 

212 


MR.  W.  A.  MEADOWS 


Mr.  W.  A.  Meadows  is  recognized  by  all  who  are  acquainted  with  his  work  as 
one  of  the  most  expert  accountants  in  the  State,  being  efficient,  careful  and  accu- 
rate. He  was  barn  in  Durham,  N.  C,  April  4,  1881.  He  gained  his  education 
at  Horner  Military  School. 

He  came  to  this  city  several  years  ago  to  work  in  Gravely 's  warehouse  and  since 
that  time  he  has  worked  with  the  Imperial  Tobacco  Co.,  and  for  a  combination 
consisting  of  all  the  warehouses.  When  the  Ricks  Hotel  was  opened  he  was  se^ 
cured  as  auditor  and  lately  he  has  given  almost  his  entire  time  to  the  large  busi- 
ness conducted  by  the  proprietors  of  the  Ricks  Hotel,  who,  as  related  elsewhere,  ope- 
rate five  hotels.  He  has  decided  to  give  up  his  work  in  the  tobacco  business  and  to 
engage  in  the  hotel  business  in  a  managerial  capacity,  with  the  proprietor  of  the 
Ricks.  Mr.  Meadows  is  unquestionably  one  of  the  city's  most  popular  young  men 
and  adds  much  to  the  social  life  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  and 
Pythian  fraternities.  Mr.  Meadows  is  not  only  popular  at  home  but  his  connec- 
tion with  the  hotel  business  has  thrown  him  with  the  traveling  public  and  he  is 
widely  and  popularly  known  by  the  traveling  men. 


MR.  W.  A.  MEADOWS 


213 


MR.  E.  M.  V1CK. 

A  Leading  Contractor  And  Builder,  Making  A  Specialty  Of  Concrete  Work. 

Mr  E.  M.  Vick  one  of  Rocky  Mount's  leading  contractors,  and  a  useful  citizen,  was  born  at  Bethel  N  C  in 
1873^  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in  907  and  engaged  in  contracting  and  building,  taking  a  specialty  of  concrete 
work.     Itjs  not  too  much  to  say  that  m  his  line  of  special  work,  Mr.  Vick  has    no  superior  in?  this  section  of  the 

state  He  learned  the  details  of  the  concrete  construction  under 
experts  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  which  knowledge  he  backs  up  with 
valuable  and  successful  experience  in  the  practical  part  of  the  business. 
Kealizing  the  great  possibilities  in  concrete  construction  after  investiga- 
tion, Mr  Vick  decided  to  make  it  his  life  work.  Coming  to  Rocky 
Mount,  he  built  his  home,  a  handsome  structure,  on  Arlington  St  en- 
tirely of  concrete.  A  picture  is  shown  of  a  residence  which  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Vick  entirely  of  concrete  and  is  a  two-story  house  of 
?eve"  .roonis-  When  completed,  it  will  be  a  pretty  piece  of  architecture 
Mr.  Vick  has  a  complete  concrete  plant  located  on  Arlington  St.,  and  is 
thoroughly  prepared  to  manufacture  any  kind  of  concrete  block  for 
•  the  miracle  block^"  JltT^Tu™™?  orpcDurbing  ™  walks      He  has  done  quite  a  good  bit 

4.u  «        L    1  ■  ..  ot  work  'or  the  Clty  °f  Rocky  Mount.     A  picture  is  shown   of  some   nf 

the  pavmg  done  by  him  on  Main  Street.     Mr.  Vick  contends  that  concrete  is  preferable  in  all  kfnds   of   builS     ° 
makes  a  handsomer  structure  than  ordinary  brick,  and  is  more  substantial  and  lasting;   and  whn?  possessing  Ihese 
superior  qualities   is  also  as  cheap.     Mr.  Vick's  favorite  block  is  the  "Miracle  Block"  which  has  the  record  of   mak- 
ing a  structure  absolutely  frost-proof  and  moisture-proof  tecoru  oi   maic 

,  .  ^.r;  VickJs  ,held  '"  h'gh  esteem  by  all  who  know  him.  and  especially  by  those  for  whom  he  has  done  work  for 
wasta riea  irflQof  to  SfS ^  his  thorough  reliability  and  the  good  faith  he  shows  in  all  his  transactTons '  He 
was  married  in  1904  to  Miss  Florence  Rudolph,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  from  this  union  have  been  born  two   children 

line  of  constrSn  wTk         "'  **'  ^  ^  *  PrCpared  t0  handle  Capab,y  and  with  disPatch-  any   job  in   his 

214 


PAVEMENT  MADE  BY  MR.  E.  M,  VICK 


MR.  E,  M.  VICK 


215 


SHOWING  BACK  VIEW  OF  HOUSE  BUILT  OF  CONCRETE  BY  MR.  E.  M.  VICX 

216 


MR.  RALPH   PITT. 


A  Highly  Successful   Warehouseman.    Experience  Of    Eighteen    Successive 

Years  In  The  Business. 


It  requires  a  man  of  strong  mind  and  of  enduring  physical  strength  to  make  a  successful  warehouseman  and  it 
might  well  be  added  a  man  of  exceptional  judgment  and  years  of  practical  experience.  It  can  be  stated  without  fear 
of  successful  contradiction  that  no  man  in  this  State  combines  all  these  qualities  to  a  larger  extent  than  Ralph  Pitt 
This  statement  will  be  instantly  recognized  as  literally  true  by  all  who  know  him  and  that  means  practically  every 
one  who  has  sold  tobacco  on  the  Rocky  Mount  tobacco  market  in  the  past  18  years,  or  who  has  been  in  any  way  con- 
nected with  the  market.  Mr.  Pitt  has  the  unbounded  confidence  of  all  who  know  him,  not  only  for  his  ability  in  the 
warehouse  business,  but  for  his  strict  integrity  and  fair  dealing. 

Mr.  Pitt  is  a  native  born  to  this  section,  having  first  seen  the  light  of  day  Nov.  17,  1871,  in  Edgecombe  county 
When  quite  a  young  man,  he  decided  to  engage  in  the  tobacco  business  and  accepted  a  minor  position  with  Mr  J 
O.  W.  Gravely,  the  pioneer  tobacconist  on  the  Rocky  Mount  market,  in  1893.  He  worked  his  way  up  in  the  busi- 
ness and  today  he  can  lay  claim  to  the  fact  that  he  has  successfully  filled  every  position  connected  with  the  conduct 
of  a  warehouse.  The  experience  of  Mr.  Pitt  in  the  business  is  more  varied  than  that  of  any  man  in  North  Carolina 
or  Virginia,  as  can  readily  be  realized  from  a  relation  of  the  number  of  years  he  has  spent  in  the  business  on  this 
market,  in  South  Carolina  and  western  North  Carolina,  thereby  gaining  a  knowledge  of  practically  all  grades  of  to- 
bacco raised  in  this  country. 

Mr.  Pitt  first  engaged  as  an  owner  in  the  warehouse  business  on  the  Florence,  S.  C,  market  in  1900    where   he 
was  eminently  successful  for  three  years.     He  then  moved  to  Rocky  Mount  and  bought  out  Mr.  J.  O.  W    Gravely 
He  was  instantly  successful  here,  but  was  burned  out  in  the  middle  of  that  season.     However,  by  the  following  sea- 
son he  had  erected,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  J.  E.  Crute,  a  brick  warehouse,  which  they  continued  to   conduct  until 

217 


MR.  RALPH  PITT 


last  year,  when  an  attractive  offer  was  made  to  them  to  sell,  which  they  accepted, 
As  an  evidence  of  the  high  reputation  of  Mr.  Pitt  in  the  business,  he  was  then 
offered  the  management  of  the  Leader  warehouse  at  Winston,  the  largest  ware- 
house in  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  and  located  on  the  largest  market  in 
those  States.  Though  successful  in  a  high  degree  there,  he  yearned  for  his  old 
home,  and  consequently  he  recently  consummated  the  purchase  of  the  warehouse 
and  good  will  of  Mr.  J.  O.  W.  Gravely  and  immediately  began  active  preparations 
for  the  approaching  season. 

Mr.  Pitt  recognizes  the  need  of  good  accommodations  for  his  customers  and 
their  stock,  and  before  the  season  opens  next  August  he  will  make  improvements 
that  will  make  his  accommodations  for  his  customers  and  their  stock  second  to 
none  on  any  market.  In  fact  he  is  planning  to  be  the  first  in  this  line.  Also  he 
recognizes  the  necessity  of  competent  employes  and  he  has  already  secured  the 
services  of  Mr.  C.  E.  Allen  as  auctioneer,  who  has  been  on  this  market  three  years, 
and  is  a  thoroughly  competent  auctioneer  in  every  respect,  and  Mr.  Jim  W.  Cobb, 
of  Pinetops,  as  bookkeeper,  who  is  also  well  and  favorably  known.  Before  the 
season  opens  he  will  have  a  complete  force  of  thoroughly  competent  men. 

Mr  Pitt  has  been  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business  for  eighteen  successive 
years  and  knows  the  business  in  its  every  detail.  This  enables  him  to  protect 
his  customers  in  every  possible  way.  He  has  always  done  so  in  the  past  and  those 
who  have  the  success  of  the  Rocky  Mount  tobacco  market  at  heart  will  be  glad  to 
know  that  he  will  conduct  a  warehouse  business  on  the  local  market  next  season. 
Especially  will  this  be  true  so  far  as  his  many  friends  who  plant  the  weed  are  con- 
cerned, for  no  one  is  better  or  more  favorably  known  to  the  farmers,  adjacent  to 
the  Rocky  Mount  Tobacco  Market. 


218 


PITT'S  WAREHOUSE 


219 


MR.  THOMAS  C.  GORHAM. 

The  Leading  Merchant  and  Diuggist  at  South   Rocky  Mount.     A  Man  of  Large  Success  and  High  Character 

Mr.  T.  C.  Gorham,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  is  a  native  of  Edgecombe 
county,  having  been  born  near  Battle- 
boro  Aug.  8th,  1866.  Mr.  Gorham  is  a 
member  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
influential  Edgecombe  county  families, 
one  that  has  been  identified  with  county 
affairs  for  a  long  number  of  years.  He 
came  to  Rocky  Mount  fifteen  years  ago, 
opening  a  hotel  at  South  Rocky  Mount, 
one  of  the  pioneer  business  men  in  that 
thriving  section  of  the  city.  Later  he 
established  a  mercantile  business  and  a 
drug  business,  and  restaurant,  all  of 
which  have  prospered  to  a  gratifying 
degree  under  his  able  management  and 
the  consistent  fair  treatment  and  court- 
esy he  freely  accords  to  every  patron  of 
his  places.  Mr.  Gorham  is  the  owner 
and   operator  of  one   of  the  very  best 

T.  C.  Gorham's  Restaurant,  Dti's  Store  and  General  Merchandise  Store  at  South  Rccty  Mount.  TeStaUTantS  in  the  SoUth,  Gorham  'S  SOUth 

Rocky  Mount  restaurant  being  widely  known  and  patronized  by  Deople  along  all  the  lines  of  the  railroad.  Mr. 
Gorham  has  become  thoroughly  identified  with  the  progress  of  that  part  of  the  city,  being  himself  one  of  the  most 
forceful  elements.  He  has  been  a  capable  and  efficient  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  of  Rocky  Mount  and  is 
an  influential  director  of  the  First  National  Bank.  He  is  very  popular  with  the  large  body  of  railroad  employees, 
striving  at  all  times  as  he  does,  to  advance  their  interests  and  see  that  they  get  the  best.  He  is  married  to  Miss  Min- 
nie Cutchin,  daughter  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Cutchin,  of  Whitakers,  by  whom  he  has  four  children,  all  boys. 

220 


MR.  HOWARD  C.  DIXON 


MR.  H.  C.  DIXON 


The  Leading  Plumber  of  The  City 

Among  the  younger  business  men  of  Rocky  Mount  who  are  achieving  success 
in  their  chosen  lines  of  work,  Mr.  Howard  C.  Dixon  stands  out  prominently.  Mr. 
Dixon  is  yet  a  very  young  man,  having  been  born  in  Rocky  Mount  July  15,  1885, 
and  on  this  account  his  success  is  all  the  more  notable.  Mr.  Dixon  is  the  proprietor 
and  operator  of  the  well-known  plumbing,  tinning  and  roofing  concern  of  this 
city,  which  bears  his  name,  and  which  has  taken  a  high  stand  within  the  past  few 
years  on  account  of  the  high  grade  of  work  done,  and  the  efficiency  with  which 
the  business  is  conducted. 

Mr.  Howard  Clifton  Dixon  is  a  son  of  Mr.  Geo.  R.  Dixon,  of  Rocky  Mount, 
one  of  the  city's  most  substantial  citizens  and  one  of  the  oldest,  most  capable  and 
best  known  tinners  in  North  Carolina.  Mr.  G.  R.  Dixon  has  been  a  citizen  of 
Rocky  Mount  since  it  was  only  a  country  village,  and  has  literally  grown  with  the 
city.  On  account  of  his  father  having  been  in  practically  the  same  business,  Mr. 
Howard  C.  Dixon  has  therefore  been  in  the  same  line  of  business  he  is  now  con- 
ducting, since  childhood,  and  it  is  not  a  matter  of  wonder  that  he  has  reached  the 
high  degree  of  efficiency  in  his  business  which  it  is  universally  admitted  he  possesses 
today.  Mr.  Dixon  was  educated  in  the  Rocky  Mount  Graded  Schools,  and  worked 
with  his  father  until  1908,  when  he  went  in  business  for  himself,  establishing  his 
present  concern.  From  his  initial  day,  Mr.  Dixon  has  "made  good"  to  a  gratify- 
ing degree.  Always  conscientious  and  thorough  in  his  work,  determined  that  his 
patrons  shall  be  absolutely  satisfied  with  every  job  he  performs,  and  with  all  the 
necessary  expert  knowledge  of  his  business  for  the  purpose,  Mr.  Dixon  has  won 
a  standing  in  the  plumbing,  tinning  and  roofing  business,  and  in  the  confidence  of 


221 


the  people  that  is  a  forceful  asset  for  his  future  career  in  the  busi- 
ness. So  rapid  has  been  the  growth  of  his  business  that  in  Nov. 
1909,  Mr.  Dixon  was  under  the  necessity  of  moving  to  larger 
quarters,  and  so  came  about  his  occupancy  of  his  present  com- 
modious and  well-situated  building  on  Washington  Street.  One 
of  his  specialties  is  high-grade  cornice  work,  and  another  is  slate 
roofing.  In  the  matter  of  plumbing  he  has  become  the  last  author- 
ity in  Rocky  Mount  on  all  the  details  of  the  highest-class  work. 
Mr.  Dixon  carries  in  his  place  a  full  and  complete  line  of  plumbing 
fixtures,  and  all  kinds  of  tinning  supplies.  He  does  not  hesitate 
to  accept  contracts  that  involve  the  utmost  skill  and  a  large  ex- 
penditure of  money.  One  of  his  out-of-town  contracts,  which  he 
completed  to  the  utmost  satisfaction  of  those  concerned,  was  the 
installation  of  the  entire  plumbing  system  and  fixtures  of  the  ele- 
gant new  county  court  house  at  Halifax,  N.  C.  Those  who  have 
work  of  this  character  may  call  on  Mr.  Dixon  with  the  full  assur- 
ance that  they  will  receive  entire  satisfaction  and  the  best  and 
most  expert  service  that  can  be  obtained. 
Mr.  Dixon  is  not  only  a  business  man  of  assured  standing,  but  possesses  a  large  number  of  attractive  qualities 
and  a  strength  of  character  that  have  rendered  him  very  popular  in  other  respects.     He  is  unmarried. 


INTERIOR  V1W  MR.  DIXON'S  PLUMBING  SHOP 


222 


THE  MODEL  BARBER  SHOP. 

Wiley  Davis,  Proprietor. 

This  barbershop,  which  is  one  of  the  most  modern  and 
best  equipped  in  the  city,  is  situated  in  the  center  of  the 
business  district  on  Main  Street  next  to  the  Planters  Bank. 
The  proprietor  is  Wiley  Davis,  one  of  the  worthiest  and 
most  successful  of  Rocky  Mount's  colored  citizens.  Wiley 
is  himself  a  skilful  tonsorial  artist  and  keeps  besides  him- 
self, four  experienced  and  capable  barbers,  Jno. 
Bishop,  Robt.  Cook,  S.  H.  Brown,  and  Richard  Cox. 
The  latest  modern  and  improved  appliances  are  in  evi- 
dence here,  no  expense  being  spared  to  have  everthing 
that  can  add  to  the  efficiency  and  quality  of  the  work  done 
and  to  the  comfort  and  satisfaction  of  the  patrons  of  the 
shop.  Electric  massage  and  baths  are  also  to  be  had  at 
this  shop.  After  each  service,  every  utensil  in  use  is 
thoroughly  cleansed  and  sterlized  before  using  it  again, 
thus  assuring  the  maximum  of  neatness  and  protection. 
The  proprietor,  Wiley  Davis,  as  has  been  said  above,  is  a 
representative  of  the  best  and  most  useful  type  of  the  col- 
ored people  of  the  South.  He  attends  strictly  to  his  own 
business,  exerting  every  effort  to  please  and  give  the  best 
service  to  those  who  patronize  him;  and  that  the  people 
appreciate  this,  is  shown  by  the  large  business  he  does  and 
by  the  fact  that  his  careful  courtesy  and  economy  have  re- 
sulted in  his  accumulation  of  property  to  the  value  of  several 
thousands  of  dollars  in  real  estate,  besides  his  well  quipped 

shop. 

223 


l.xl  fERIOR  VIEW  OF  MODEL  BARBER  SHOP. 


THE  ROCKY  MOUNT  BRICK  COMPANY. 
Mammoth  Plant  Equipped  With  Every  Mechanical  Aid  and  Device  Known  to  Modern  Brick  Making. 

This  company,  whose  manufacturing  plant  is  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  modern  in  Rocky  Mount,  was  organ- 
ized under  its  present  name  and  management  in  1907.  The  moving  forces  in  the  company  are  Messrs  D  I 
Rose,  T.  W.  Coleman  and  W.  R.  Coleman.  Mr.  Rose  is  President,  Mr.  T.  W.  Coleman,  Secretary  &  Treasurer 
and  Mr.  W.  R.  Coleman,  Vice-President  and  Manager.  To  those  who  know  these  men  and  their  accomplishment 
in  this  and  other  fields,  the  very  fact  that  the  business  was  to  be  under  their  direction  and  management  was  a  guar- 
antee of  its  success.  They  are  all  men  who  are  and  have  been  broadly  successful,  with  a  comDlete  and  practical 
knowledge  of  all  the  intricate  details  of  the  business  and  the  manufacture  of  brick.  A  sketch  of  Mr.  Rose,  whose 
name  is  a  synonym  for  success,  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  connection  with  a  story  of  his  large  contracting  and  con- 
struction business. 

Mr.  Thomas  W.  Coleman,  the  Secretary  &  Treasurer  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Brick  Co.,  is  also  associated  with 
Mr.  Rose  in  the  contracting  and  construction  work,  and  is  the  active  manager  of  his  Rocky  Mount  business.  In  ad- 
dition, Mr.  Coleman  has  been  in  active  charge  of  some  of  the  largest  contracts  Mr.  Rose  has  completed  in  other 
states,  among  them  being  various  large  fertilizer  factories  for  the  F.  S.  Royster  Guano  Co.  in  several  cities  in  the 
South,  the  buildings  of  the  Phosphate  Mining  Works  at  Bartow  Fla.,  and  others  of  like  magnitude  Here  in  Rocky 
Mount,  Mr.  Coleman  has  superintended  the  construction  of  the  following  among  others,  the  Braswell  &  Levy  tobacco 
factory,  the  Rocky  Mount  Public  Works,  the  Rocky  Mount  Hosiery  Co.,  Hales  &  Edwards,  all  of  which  are  among 
the  most  admirable  structures  in  Eastern  Carolina.  Mr.  Coleman  is  a  native  of  Warren  County,  N  C  and  is  44 
years  old.  On  his  first  coming  to  this  part  of  the  state  several  years  ago,  he  accepted  a  posi'tion  with  •  Ex-Gov 
bhas  Carras  manager  of  his  large  plantation.  Later  he  was  with  the  Rocky  Mount  Mills  in  various  capacities' 'making 
good  in  each.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  with  the  D.  J.  Rose  Construction  Co.,  occupying  a  most  responsible 
position,  which  he  fills  with  splendid  ability  and  eminent  satisfaction  Besides  being  notably  thorough  and 
competent  in  his  work,  Mr.  Coleman  is  a  man  of  fine  character,  warmly  esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  by 
the  puohc  generally,  who  have  every  confidence  in  his  judgment  and  fair  and  honorable  transaction  of  all  business 
committed  to  his  care.  Mr.  Coleman  was  married  in  Nov.  1910  to  Miss  Bessie  Barnes,  of  Johnston  county  mem- 
ber of  a  prominent  family  of  that  county,  and  a  niece  of  Mr.  D.  J.  Rose. 

224 


THE  VICE-PRESIDENT  &  MANAGER. 

The  Vice-President  and  Manager  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Brick  Co., Mr.  William  Richard  Coleman, is  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  promising  young  business  men  of  Rocky  Mount.  He  was  born  July  12,  1886,  in  Mecklenburg  County, 
Virginia.  He  received  a  good  academical  education  at  an  excellent  high  school  at  Wise,  Warren  county.  In  1905 
soon  after  leaving  school,  he  came  to  Rocky  Mount.  For  two  years,  he  was  manager  of  the  Edgecombe  Brick  & 
Tile  Co.,  evidencing  in  that  responsible  position,  business  ability  and  judgment  of  a  high  order.,  and  in  1907,  on  the 
organization  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Brick  Company,  he  accepted  the  position  of  Manager  to  which  he  was  elected. 
The  rapid  strides  made  in  every  phase  of  the  business  during  its  four  years  of  business  life,  and  the  thorough  effec- 
tiveness of  both  the  manufacturing  and  business  departments  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Brick  Company,  are  ample  proof 
that  Mr.  Coleman  not  only  possesses  fine  business  ability,  but  also  has  the  resourcefulness  and  generalship  to  capably 
direct  a  large  business  and  to  manage  men  in  a  way  to  produce  the  largest  results.  Determined  to  be  absolute  master 
of  his  vocation,  Mr.  Coleman  has  made  a  study  of  clay  work  and  the  manufacture  of  brick,  keeping  fully  abreast  of 
the  times  in  his  line  of  work,  and  continually  striving  for  new  methods  to  reduce  the  cost,  increase  the  output,  being 
ever  careful  to  keep  the  quality  of  the  brick  manufactured  at  the  highest  possible  degree  of  perfection.  The  future 
for  him  in  his  chosen  business  is  particularly  bright,  for  this  is  a  day  of  specialists. 

THE  PLANT. 

There  is  probably  not  a  better  equipped  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  brick,  in  North  Carolina,  than  that  of  the 
Rocky  Mount  Brick  Company.  It  is  located  in  the  eastern  suburbs  of  the  city  and  the  holdings  of  the  company  around 
the  plant  are  approximately  30  acrfs,  of  clay,  ideally  suited  for  the  manufacture  of  high  class  building  brick. 

The  plant  is  complete,  and  can  easily  turn  out  3,000,000  brick  per  year.  They  have  installed  one 
of  the  largest  of  the  famous  brick  machines  manufactured  by  J.  C.  Steele  &  Sons  of  Statesville,  N.  C, 
and  the  admirably  arrangement  of  every  detail  and  part  of  the  plant,  together  with  the  machine-like  working  and 
precision  of  every  factor  in  the  manufacture,  constitutes  a  high  tribute  to  the  forceful  managerial  capacity  there  evi- 
denced. The  clay  is  mined  by  means  of  a  45-Horse  Power  hoisting  engine  with  a  drag  scraper  operated  with  ap- 
proximately 3,000  feet  of  5-8-inch  steel  cable  attached,  eliminating  the  use  of  horses  or  mules  altogether.  This  cable 
draws  the  scraper  from  a  distance  of  350  feet,  gathering  the  contents,  three-fourths  of  a  cubic  yard  of  clay,  in  its  ap- 
proach to  the  dumping  point,  and  there  automatically  empties  the  contents  into  a  clay-gar,  which  is  in  turn  drawn  by 

.    225 


a  steel  cable  up  an  inclined  track  finally  emptying  the  contents  into  the  brick  machine.  This  method  of  mining  the 
clay  was  devised  by  Messrs.  W.  R.  Coleman  and  D.  J.  Rose,  and  speaks  volumes  for  their  inventive  and  mechanical 
ability.  Besides  eliminating  a  large  part  of  the  mining  expense,  it  enables  them  to  greatly  increase  their  capacity. 
The  cable-drawn  drag,  above  mentioned,  which  gathers  its  own  contents  as  it  approaches  the  dumping  place,  will 
move  three-fourths  of  a  cubic  yard  of  clay  every  five  minutes,  which  in  a  ten  hour  day,  amounts  to  the  enormous 
bulk  of  ninety  cubic  yards. 

In  fact,  the  most  forcible  impression  one  gains  in  inspecting  the  plant  of  this  company,  is  the  fact  that  machinery 


VIEW  OF  ROCKY  MOUNT  BRICK  COMPANY'S  BED  OF  CLAY 

Also  showing  Cable  which  extends  o' er  field  and  by  use  of  45-hor?e  power  hoistmg  engne  draws  big  buckets  of  clay  to  track  from 

where  it  is  -carried  to  brick  machine.     This  is  an  original  invention,  and  saves  use  of  several  mules  and  a  number  of  hands 

226 


dees  the  work  at  every  point,  and  this  pleasing  effect  is  further  enhanced  by  the  pleasure  that  is  always  felt  in 
observing  a^  smoothly  and  perfectly  running  manufactory,  wherein  everything  and  every  employee  has  a  particular 
duty  to  perform  and  performs  it  with  ease,  accuracy  and  regularity. 

A  plant  conducted  as  is  this  one,  naturally  produces  a  high  class  of 
work,  and  the  brick  here  manufactured  are  the  favorite  of  the  market 
of  Rocky  Mount  and  surrounding  territory.  No  better  building  brick 
is  manufactured  anywhere,  and  it  is  characteristic  of  this  concern, 
that  the  high  grade  of  the  manufactured  product  is  reinforced  with 
business  methods  that  hold  customers. 


MR.  W.  R.  COLEMAN,  Mgr. 


- 

'.' ■  "     '     '■'■;■;    ..■•■"'  I    ■           . 

-                                                      ^ 

VIEW  SH'    WING  PART  OF  ROCKY  MOUNT  BRICK  COMPANY'S  PLANT 

227 


MR.  Z.  V.  JENKINS. 


JENKINS  &  JEFFREYS. 

Livery,  Exchange  and  Sales  Stables. 

The  firm  of  Jenkins  &  Jeffreys  was  formed  and  began  business  Jan.  1,  191  0, 
establishing  its  business  in  the  large  and  commodious  quarters  formerly  occupied 
by  the  late  J.  D.  Odom.  This  firm  is  composed  of  Messrs.  Z.  V.  Jenkins  and  W. 
E.  Jeffreys,  two  of  the  leading  citizens  and  business  men  of  Rocky  Mount  and 
Nash  county.     A  full  sketch  of  Mr.  Jeffreys,  can  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

Mr.  Zebulon  Vance  Jenkins,  the  active  Manager  of  this  concern  is  one  of  the 
best  known  and  most  influential  citizens  of  Nash  county,  having  held  with  credit, 
a  number  of  public  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  and  has  been  for  nearly  twenty 
years  one  of  most  forceful  Democratic  leaders  of  his  county.  In  1898,  he  was 
Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Executive  Committee  of  Nash  county,  and  in  the 
memorable  campaign  of  that  year,  redeemed  the  county,  overcoming  a  Republican- 
Populist  majority  of  over  1300  in  the  previous  election.  He  also  conducted  the 
aggressive  and  successful  campaign  of  1900,  in  which  Nash  did  her  part  in  ratify- 
ing the  Constitutional  Amendment  disfranchising  the  ignorant  negro  voters.  Mr. 
Jenkins  has  been  at  various  times,  Deputy-Sheriff,  Assistant  Register  of  Deeds, 
and  during  the  Legislature  of  1909,  was  Clerk  to  the  Committee  of  Counties, Cities 
and  towns.  In  all  of  these  positions,  he  has  discharged  his  duties  fearlessly  and 
capably.  No  man  in  the  county  stands  higher  in  the  respect  and  regard  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  for  he  is  a  clean  fighter  as  well  as  fearless  one.  He  is  yet  a  compar- 
atively young  man,  having  been  born  in  Nashville  July  14,  1872.  As  a  business 
man,  he  is  able  and  progressive.  His  present  business  is  a  growing  and  prosper- 
ous one.  The  firm  handles  horses  and  mules  in  car  load  lots,  together  with  the 
best  makes  of  buggies  and  harness  and  is  fast  winning  a  fine  reputation  among 
the  best  classes  of  the  trade.  Mr.  Jenkins  is  also  an  experienced  tobacco  dealer, 
and  a  promineni  and  successful  planter.  He  was  married  several  years  ago  to 
Miss  Westbrook  of  Pender  county,  a  member  of  a  prominent  Pender  county  family. 


228 


MOON  &  McLEMORE 


Proprietors  of  The  Queen  City  Pressing  Club,  The  Most  Popular  Concern 

of  Its  Kind  in  the  City 


For  several  years  the  people  of  Rocky  Mount,  or  a  greal  per 
cent  of  them,  have  been  having  their  clothes  pressed  and  cleaned 
at  The  Queen  City  Pressing  Club,  'phone  144.  This  Club  is  bet- 
ter equipped  at  present  than  ever  before  to  satisfy  their  customers 
in  every  respect.  Equipped  with  the  latest  and  most  improved 
appliances,  and  employing  only  expert  help,  this  Pressing  Club 
is  daily  adding  to  its  fine  reputation  for  high-class  work  and  sat- 
isfactory service.  The  present  owners  are  Messrs.  George  W. 
Moon  and  W.  E.  McLemore,  with  Mr.  Moon  as  active  manager. 
Mr.  Moon  is  not  only  capable  and  conscientious  in  his  work,  but  is 
a  young  man  of  fine  character  and  excellent  parts  who  has  made 
good  under  difficult  circumstances.  He  was  born  July  12,  1890, 
in  Granville  county,  was  raised  on  his  father's  farm,  and  came  to 
Rocky  Mount  in  1905.  He  worked  steadily  in  the  pressing  club 
business,  saving  his  money  and  applying  himself  industriously 
to  his  duties  until  March,  1911,  when  he  found  that  he  had  saved 

enough  to  purchase  his  present  share  in  the  business.     A  young  man  of  this  sort  is  bound  to  succeed. 
Mr.   Moon  was  married  in  1909  to  Miss  Whitley,  of  Halifax  County. 
A  sketch  of  Mr.  McLemore  will   be   found   in  the  story  of  the  large  tailoring  business  of  which  he  is  manager. 

The  quarters   of   this  Pressing  Club  are  at  122  North  Main  Street. 

229 


THE  SHORE  BUILDING 


This  is  cne  of  the  handsomest  buildings  of  the  city. 
It  is  owned  by  Messrs.  P.  C.  and  A.  E.  Shore,  who  are 
numbered  among  our  most  substantial  and  highly  re- 
spected citizens.  The  building  is  occupied  by  The  First 
National  Bank,  Bulluck,  Philips  &  Co.  and  Robbins 
pool  room. 


THE  SHORE  BUILDING 


230 


ROCKY  MOUNT  SIGN  WORKS 


Mr.  Archie  R.  Nunn,  Proprietor. 

This  enterprise  is  located  in  the  Echo  Building  on  Main  street,  opposite  the 
postoffice,  and  is  doing  now  quite  a  volume  of  business.  In  fact,  so  quietly  and 
unostentatiously  does  Mr.  Nunn  proceed  about  his  work  that  few  people  in  Rocky 
Mount  have  any  idea  of  the  amount  of  business  done  by  him.  At  present,  he  is 
shipping  signs  to  practically  all  the  towns  in  Eastern  North  Carolina.  For  instance 
in  one  day  recently,  he  shipped  over  200  different  signs  to  Tarboro.  Solely  on  its 
merits,  his  work  is  becoming  widely  and  most  favorably  known  over  this  part  of  the 
State.  There  is  no  kind  of  sign  work  that  Mr.  Nunn  is  not  fully  equipped  to  do 
satisfactorily.  Some  of  his  specialties  are  road  signs,  cloth  sale  signs,  office  signs, 
and  gold  and  silver  lettering.  Among  his  Rocky  Mount  work,  might  be  mention- 
ed the  beautiful  gold  leaf  signs  on  The  Planters  Bank,  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount, 
The  First  National  Bank,  the  Savings  Bank,  Wilkinson,  Bulluck  &  Co.,  and  Mr. 
Von  Milgrom's  Jewelry  Store.  For  some  time  Mr.  Nunn  has  travelled  all  over  this 
part  of  the  State,  building  up  the  most  lucrative  part  of  his  work,  and  now  his  plans 
are  to  employ  additional  labor,  and  take  care  of  the  smaller  jobs  also.  He,  himself, 
is  one  of  the  most  skilled  experts  in  his  line  to  be  found  in  the  State. 

Mr.  Nunn  is  a  native  of  Rocky  Mount  and  was  born  June  22,  1875.  He  was 
reared  in  Wilmington,  and  returned  to  Rocky  Mount  eighteen  years  ago,  and  has 
made  this  his  headquarters  ever  since.  He  now  proposes  to  make  Rocky  Mount 
the  center  of  the  sign  business  in  Eastern  Carolina,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  he 
should  not  succeed. 


MR.  ARCHIE  NUNN 


231 


MR.  J.  W.  DAVENPORT 

One  of  the  Ablest  and  Most  Successful  of  Rocky  Mount's  Younger  Business  Men. 

Proprietor  of  the  Large  General  Store  of  J.   W.   Davenport,  on  Washington 

Street,  and  Stockholder  in  Other  Leading  Concerns 

One  of  the  most  popular  stores  on  Washington  Street,  which  is  one  of  the  busi- 
est retail  districts  in  the  city,  is  that  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Davenport,  General  Merchant. 
Mr.  Davenport  carries,  besides  a  complete  and  up-to-date  line  of  groceries,  one  of 
the  best  lines  of  custom  tailoring,  ready-to-wear  clothing,  hats,  shoes,  furniture 
and  notions.  Since  the  establishment  of  his  business  in  August,  1894,  it  has 
steadily  grown  each  year,  until  now  its  patronage  is  notably  wide  and  profitable. 

Mr.  Davenport  was  born  in  Pitt  County,  and  was  raised  in  Martin  County,  in 
which  county  he  still  owns  and  operates  a  fine  plantation.  Much  of  his  business 
success  is  doubtless  due  to  his  being  reared  on  the  farm,  and  the  sterling  qualities 
of  character,  energy  and  persistency  there  imbibed.  He  came  to  Rocky  Mount  in 
1894,  attending  school  for  one  year  afterward,  and  then  held  a  position  with  the 
A.  C.  L.  R.  R.  Co.,  as  Conductor  and  in  other  capacities,  for  five  years,  render- 
ing the  railroad  valuable  service,  and  retiring  to  establish  his  present  business. 

Mr.  Davenport's  fine  character,  uniform  consideration  and  courtesy  to  his  patrons 
and  to  all  with  whom  he  has  business  dealings,  together  with  his  splendid  business 
ability,  have  won  for  him  a  high  standing  in  Rocky  Mount  business  circles.  Besides 
his  large  mercantile  establishment,  he  is  a  stockholder  in  two  of  the  leading  Rocky 
Mount  banks,  The  Bank  of  Rocky  Mcunt  and  the  First  National,  and  is  a  large 
holder  of  valuable  Rocky  Mount  real  estate.  He  owns  in  addition,  as  stated  above, 
a  fine  plantation  in  Martin  County.  The  large  measure  of  success  that  has  come 
to  Mr.  Davenport  is  a  high  tribute  to  his  ability  and  honorable  life,  and  the  other  engaging  personal  qualities  he  pos- 
sesses have  won  for  him  a  wide  and  canstantly  increasing  circle  of  friends  and  patrons.  He  was  married  in  January, 
1906,  to  Miss  Chrice  Otta  Johnson,  of  Louisburg.  an  attractive  and  gifted  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  influential  Franklin  County  families. 

232 


MH.J.  W.  DAVENPORT 


HON.  JACOB  BATTLE. 


Ranking  among  the  very  ablest  of  the  lawyers  of  North  Carolina  is  Judge  Jacob 
Battle,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  the  dean  of  the  Rocky  Mount  bar.  Judge 
Battle  was  born  January  16,  1852,  in  Nash  County.  The  family  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  and  gifted  in  the  State,  the  record  of  their  eminent  services  to 
North  Carolina  dating  back  before  the  Revolutionary  War.  One  of  Judge  Battle's 
ancestors  was  Hon.  Elisha  Battle,  President  of  the  North  Carolina  Conven- 
tion, which  ratified  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  The  father  of 
Judge  Battle  was  Capt.  Turner  Westray  Battle,  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  court- 
liest of  the  ante-bellum  planters  of  Edgecombe,  and  a  gallant  Confederate  soldier, 
commanding  Company  I,  Fifteenth  Reg.  State  Troops,  during  the  Civil  War. 

Judge  Jacob  Battle  was  reared  amidst  affluence  and  culture,  and  was  educated 
at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  University  of  Virginia,  also  taking  his 
law  course  at  the  latter  institution,  in  addition  to  studying  under  private  tutors. 
He  was  licensed  to  practice  in  1876,  and  rapidly  won  a  commanding  position 
among  the  greatest  of  North  Carolina  lawyers.  As  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court, 
he  took  rank  as  one  of  the  most  learned  and  best  equipped  jurists  on  the  bench. 
Since  his  retirement  from  the  bench,  Judge  Battle  has  devoted  his  entire  attention 
to  his  large  and  lucrative  law  practice.  He  has  always  been  a  staunch  Democrat 
with  wide  political  influence.  Among  other  positions  he  has  held,  was  that  of  State 
Senator  in  1892,  in  which  he  rendered  his  district  and  the  State  conspicuous  service. 

Judge  Battle  has  been  twice  married,  the  first  time  in  1874  to  Miss  Iva  Isabelle 
Steele,  of  Yorkville,  S.  C.  From  this  union  having  one  son,  Mr.  Jacob  Battle,  jr. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  in  1894,  he  was  married  November  4,  18S6to  Miss 
Nellie  G.  Gupton  of  Rocky  Mount,  by  whom  he  has  one  sen,  Turner/  W^ray 
Battle.  Judge  Battle's  religious  affiliations  are  with  the  Episcopal  ChurcTr/and  he 
has  been  for  many  years  senior  warden  of  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd  of 
this  city. 

233 


HON.  JACOB  BATTLE. 


MR.  JAS.  P.  BUNN. 


BUNN  &  SPRUILL 

One    Of    The   Strongest    Law 
Firms  In  North  Carolina. 

The  Rocky  Mount  Bar  has  long  been  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  ablest  in  North  Carolina, 
including  as  it  has  for  many  years,  lawyers  of 
State  wide  reputation,  whom  the  people  have 
honored  time  and  again  with  positions  of  great 
trust. 

One  of  the  strongest  law  firms  of  Rocky 
Mount,  and  indeed  in  the  whole  State,  is  that  of 
Bunn  &  Spruill,  now  composed  of  Messrs.  Frank 
S.  Spruill  and  James  P.  Bunn.  Mr.  Spruill 
ranks  high  among  the  most  eminent  of  the  North 
Carolina  legal  fraternity,  and  Mr.  Bunn,  while  a 
much  younger  man,  both  in  years  and  practice, 
has  already  won  an  enviable  position  among  the 
really  able  lawyers  of  Eastern  Carolina.  The 
firm  has  perhaps  the  largest  and  most  lucrative 
practice  of  any  law  firm  in  this  section  of  the 
State,  and  is  retained  by  people  in  every  walk  of 
life,  from  the  largest  corporatirns  to  the  humb- 
lest negro  who  has  a  meritorious  cause.  Mr. 
Spruill  is  Division   Counsel,    and   has   been  for 

234 


MR.  FRANK  S.  SPRUILL. 


MR.  JAMES  P.  BUNN 

rag  much  of  the  strong  personality,  great  ability  and  legal  grasp  that  were  characteristic  of  Mr   Bunn  th  Teld^r     Mr 
Bunn  s  mother  was,  before  marriage   Miss   Harriet  A    Philm<Tnf  th*  f„m-i,,  t!f  X !    lL     ,  mr-  Dunn  tne  elder-    Mr. 

Jffi?  SU£aW  aththef  f,"16  inStitUti0"  and  was  lice"sedtoPracticebytheSuprVmeCour^ 
902.     At  that  time  his  father  was  in  partnership  with  Hon.  F.  S   Spruill   under  the  firmZ    nfM,™^       -n  £ 

During  three  campaigns  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Executive  Committee  of  N«2h £ fl  i!  ■  f  Counly- 
an  aggressive  and  masterly  campaign,  resulting  in  sweeping  DemocraHc  victTv  He reSd Z chr*"stance  w»PnZ 
1910  on  account  of  the  pressure  of  private  and  professional  business  Y'  g"ed   the  Chairmansh>P 


in 

■usiness. 

235 


Mr.  Bunn  was  married  July  26,  1906,  to  Miss  Ella  Lee  Moorman,  of  Bristol,  Tenn.  They  have  one  child,  Miss 
Mary  Jameson,  and  reside  in  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  commodious  residences  in  Rocky  Mount,  beautifully  situ- 
ated in  the  choice  residential  district  on  the  Falls  Road  in  the  Northern  part  of  the  city. 

HON.F.  S.  SPRU1LL. 

Honorable  Frank  Shepherd  Spruill,  Division  Counsel  for  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad  Company  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Bunn  &  Spruill,  is  not  only  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  at  the  North  Carolina  Bar  but  is  one  of  the 
very  strong  public  men  of  the  State.  He  was  born  in  Martin  County,  North  Carolina,  December  9th,  1862,  and  is 
the  third  child  of  William  E.  Spruill  and  Harriet  Arrington,,  blending  Scotch-Irish  on  the  paternal  side  with  English 
on  the  maternal.  During  the  Civil  War  his  father,  who  was  in  the  Confederate  service,  moved  his  family  from  the 
exposed  territory  in  Martin  County,  frequently  the  scene  of  Federal  raids,  to  a  safer  location  in  Halifax  County. 
Here  Mr.  Spruill  grew  to  manhood  under  the  typical  influences  of  Southern  plantation  life,  and  in  the  sports  and  vigor- 
ous occupations  incident  to  life  in  the  country,  developed  an  alert  and  forceful  intellect  in  a  sound  and  healthy  body. 

Endowed  with  a  strong  and  logical  mind  and  gifted  with  unusual  oratorical  power  he  naturally  selected  the  law 
as  his  profession  and  entered  on  its  study  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina.  He  obtained  his  license  in  February 
1884  and  located  at  Henderson,  associating  himself  for  the  practice  with  William  H.  Young,  Esq.  After  a  year  in 
Henderson  he  removed  to  Louisburg,  Franklin  County,  where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Honorable  Joseph  J. 
Davis,  afterwards  a  Justice  of  the  North  Carolina  Supreme  Court  and  a  former  Congressman.  From  the  beginning 
in  Louisburg  Mr.  Spruill  enjoyed  a  large  and  extensive  practice  and  took  high  rank  at  the  bar.  Being  deeply  inter- 
ested in  all  public  matters  affecting  the  interest  of  his  County  and  State,  and  with  his  splendid  ability,  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  Mr.  Spruill  soon  became  one  of  the  Democratic  leaders  of  his  county  and  section,  participating  ac- 
actively  and  zealously  in  every  political  campaign.  His  unusual  power  as  an  orator  and  political  cam- 
paigner early  attracted  the  attention  of  the  party  all  over  the  State,  and  his  services  came  to  be  constantly, 
in  demand  by  the  Democratic  State  Executive  Committee.  In  1888  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  National 
Convention  which  nominated  Grover  Cleveland  for  the  Presidency  for  a  second  term,  and  in  the  campaign 
of  that  year,  Mr.  Spruill  was  one  of  the  most  effective  speakers  of  the  campaign  in  North  Carolina. 
In  1898  he  represented  Franklin  County  in  the  Legislature,  being  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  influential  mem- 
bers of  that  body,  and  rendering  conspicuous  services  on  the  Judiciary  Committee,  on  the  flcor  of  Ihe  House,  and 
as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Railroads  and  Railroad  Commissioners.  Soon  after,  he  was  appointed  by  Gover- 
nor Carr  a  Director  of  the  State  Prison,  but  soon  resigned,  the  work  being  uncongenial,  and  he    later    accepted   an 

236 


appointment  as  Director  of  the  North  Carolina  Railroad,  rendering  very  valuable  services  in  this  latter  position  in 
opposition  to  the  proposed  new  lease  for  99  years  of  that  railroad  to  the  Southern  Railway  Company.  During  Mr. 
Cleveland's  second  term  as  President,  Mr.  Spruill  filled  with  admirable  ability,  the  position  of  Assistant  United  States 
District  Attorney  for  the  Eastern  District  of  North  Carolina.  In  1904  the  Democrats  of  Franklin  County  again  nomi- 
nated Mr.  Spruill  for  the  House  of  Representatives,  which  nomination  he  was  compelled  to  decline  on  account  of  his 
nomination  soon  thereafter  as  one  of  the  Presidential  Electors  for  the  State  at  large,  by  the  Democratic  State  Con- 
vention. In  the  campaign  of  1904  the  speeches  of  Mr.  Spruill  were  widely  commented  on  as  being  among  the  very 
ablest  delivered  in  Mr.  Parker's  behalf  in  the  entire  South,  his  beautiful  diction,  unanswerable  logic  and  the  force  of 
his  strong  personality  carrying  conviction  to  his  large  audiences  and  doing  much  to  bring  out  the  great  Democratic 
majority  in  North  Carolina  in  that  eventful  campaign  when  the  Democracy  in  other  States  went  to  pieces,  and  Mr. 
Roosevelt  rolled  up  his  unparallelled  majority  in  the  nation. 

Though  one  of  the  great  individual  political  forces  in  North  Carolina,  it  is  in  his  chosen  profession  as  a  lawyer  that 
Mr.  Spruill  has  attained  his  highest  eminence  and  his  most  enduring  fame.  Careful  and  painstaking  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  his  cases,  tireless  in  energy,  powerful  as  an  advocate,  and  with  the  deepest  loyalty  to  the  interest  of  his  clients, 
he  embodies  the  most  effective  forces  and  represents  the  highest  traditions  of  his  ancient  and  honorable  profess- 
ion. Being  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  he  has  ever  felt  the  greatest  interest  in  his  Alma  Mater, 
rendering  both  as  trustee  for  a  long  period  and  otherwise  every  tribute  and  service  at  his  command  to  that  noble 
institution. 

Mr.  Spruill  removed  to  Rocky  Mount  January  1st,  1908,  having  been  appointed  Division  Counsel  of  the  great 
Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railroad  system.  No  citizen  of  Rocky  Mount  is  held  in  higher  esteem  and  respect  and  as  a 
member  of  the  strong  law  firm  of  Bunn  &  Spruill  he  enjoys  an  expensive  and  lucrative  law  practice,  such  as  has 
been  won  by  few  lawyers  in  the  State.  Messrs.  Bunn  &  Spruill  are,  besides  their  railroad  connection,  attorneys  for 
the  Planters  Bank  of  Rocky  Mount,  county  attorneys  for  Nash  County,  and  attorneys  for  a  number  of  others  of  the 
strongest  corporations  of  this  part  of  the  State,  besides  possessing  a  wide  practice  among  people  of  every  class. 

Mr.  Spruill  was  happily  married  in  1833  to  Miss  Alice  Capehart  Winston,  daughter  of  Hon.  Patrick  Henry  Winston 
and  Martha  Elizabeth  Byrd,  and  sister  of  Ex-Judge  and  ex-Lieut.  Gov.  Francis  D.  Winston,  Judge  Robert  W.  Winston, 
Patrick  Henry  Winston,  Jr.,  (Ex-Attorney  General  of  the  State  of  Washington)  and  George  Taylor  Winston,  B.  Litt. 
A.  M.,  L.  L.  D.,  Ex-Pres.  Univ.  of  North  Carolina,  Ex-President  of  the  North  Carolina  A.  &  M.  College,  and  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Texas,  four  of  the  ablest  and  most  brilliant  men  North  Carolina  has  ever  produced.  Mrs.  Spruill  is  herself 
one  of  the  loveliest  and  most  gifted  of  North  Carolina's  fair  daughters,  and  it   is   no   doubt   to   her  intelligence  and 

237 


sympathetic  assistance  that  Mr.  Spruill  owes  much  of  the  large  measure  of  fame  md  success  that   he  has  attained    in 

feSnTf  fhe  StafeS  SSS"  '?h  PriVate  Kft     The  SprUil'  residenCe  0n  ralls  R')ad  *  one  o?  ^  handsomest  £ 
VJ™   c P     "11     the.  State,  fitted  with  every  convenience,  comfort  and  arrangement  that  form    an    ideal    home      Here 
Mrs.  Spruill  presides  with  the  rare  charm  and  grace  of  the  old  regime.     Mr.  and  Mrs   Soruiil  have  thre? children 
Mrs.  Thomas  Alexander,  of  Charlotte,  Miss  Martha  Byrd  Spruill  and  Frank  Shepherd  Spruill   Jr  ' 

HON.  BENJAMIN  H.  BUNN. 

IN  MEMORIAM. 
Nash  County's  Ablest  And  Best-Beloved  Son. 


w-hJ  I sreha.sProbabf,]y  "ever  lived  in  Nash  County,  any  other  man  so  universally   beloved    by   the   oeoole     or   so 
widely  trusted  and  influential,  as  the  late  Hon.  Benjamin  Hickman  Bunn,  for  three  terms  a   member  of   the   U   S 
Congress,  and  who  was  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  his  death,  the  undisputed  leader  of  the  miHtant  Democracy 
of  the  county.     Mr.  Bunn  was  born  in  Nash  county  October  19,  1844,  and  wL  a  son  o    R  din  Marv    H    k 

man  (Bryan)  Bunn  Mr  Redmun  Bunn  was  long  one  of  the  most  prominent  merchants  and I  planters of 'the  county 
and  gave  to  his  mother  state  three  gallant  and  gifted  sons,  (including  the  subject  of  mi 'article) two of 'worn  ofi 
up  their  lives  in  battle  for  their  native  South  during  the  Civil  War  One  of  the  brothers  Mr  SI  H  R,,!S 
killed  while  gallantly  leading  a  cavalry  charge  at  Burgess'  MmSlB^l^^S^miH^rC^ 
House  in  1862  The  mother  of  Redmun  Bunn,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  was  married  to  Willian i  Dortch  and 
this  union  was  born  several  children,  who  attained  distinction,  among  them  being  Hon  WUHam  T  Dor  h  wh 
represented  North  Carolina  in  the  Confederate  States  Senate,  and  Isaac  F.  Dortch,  who  becameVe  of  h  leading 
physicians  of  Alabama.  Ben,amin  Bunn,  the  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  S^me  to  North  Carol  nf 
™ZZ'rg?ll  ST  a,ftlf  LhC  Re™]utionary  War.  The  family  is  of  distinguished  and  noble  EngHsh  extract  Jn  a 
poTof  Queen's  Counsel^3"0"  °?  the  "*  H°n"  Wmiam  H'  Bunn'  havin^  during  recent  yeaS  held  tfe  Sted 
Hon.  Benjamin  H.  Bunn,  our  subject,  had  just  completed  his  college  preparatory  course  at  the  outbreak   of  the 


238 


War  between  the  States,  and  at  cnce  gave  up  his  studies  and  enlisted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  in  Co.  I,  Thirtieth  N. 
C.  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Arrington  Throughout  the  entire  war  he  fought  gallintly,  and  young  as  he  was,  he  at- 
tained the  rank  of  Firsc  Lieutenant,  conferred  for  conspicuous  gallantry  on  several  occasions.  At  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  studied  law  under  his  uncie,  William  T.  Dortch,  and  Judge  Geo.  V.  Storey,  of  Goldsboro,  and  received  his 
county  courc  license  in  June  1866,  and  his  superior  court  license  a  year  later.  He  then  located  permanently  at 
Rocky  Mount  for  the  practice  of  his  profession.  As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Bunn  at  once  took  high  rank,  and  during  the 
years  that  followed  built  a  reputation  as  one  of  the  very  strongest  men  at  the  Carolina  bar.  As  an  advocate,  North 
Carolina  has  possibly  never  known  his  superior.  Almost  every  man  in  the  county  was  personally  known  to  him, 
and  gave  him  full  confidence.  His  practice  when  he  died  was  one  of  the  largest,  most  representative  and  most 
lucrative  in  North  Carolina.  Eloquent  in  voice,  commanding  in  presence  and  personality,  and  admirably  grounded 
and  learned  in  the  law,  he  was  the  ideal  lawyer  and  political  leader.  He  first  entered  the  political  arena  as  sub- 
elector  on  the  Seymour-Blair  ticket  in  1868,  and  in  1875  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  that  framed 
the  present  Constitution  of  North  Carolina.  In  1882,  he  was  a  member  of  the  legislature  and  was  Chairman  of  the 
Joint  Committee  on  the  Code,  an  almost  unprecedented  honor  to  be  conferred  on  a  member  of  the  lower  house. 
In  1884,  he  was  elector  for  the  Fourth  North  Carolina  District  for  the  national  ticket  of  Cleveland  and  Hendricks, 
and  was  chosen  as  the  messenger  to  convey  the  vote  of  North  Carolina  to  the  United  States  Senate  at  Washington. 
Four  years  before,  in  1880,  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Democratic  Convention,  which  nominated  General 
Hancock  for  the  Presidency.  In  1886,  Mr.  Bunn  was  a  candidate  for  the  Democratic  nomination  for  Congress  and 
led  the  convention  for  212  ballots,  Hon.  John  M.  Graham  finally  receiving  the  nomination  on  the  213th  ballot.  In 
the  election  following,  Mr.  Graham  was  defeated  by  Nichols,  Republican,  by  1,500  majority.  Two  years  later, 
however,  the  Democrats  of  the  District  gave  Mr.  Bunn  an  unanimous  nomination  for  Congress,  and  in  the  campaign 
and  election  that  followed,  he  redeemed  the  district  and  was  elected  by  the  handsome  majority  of  2,600  votes.  Two 
years  later,  in  1890,  so  well  and  faithfully  had  he  served  his  district,  that  he  was  re-elected  by  6,500  majority,  and 
was  a  third  time  elected  by  a  handsome  majority  in  1892.  !n  1894,  the  year  of  the  disgraceful  fusion  victory,  Mr. 
Bunn  was  not  a  candidate  for  re-election,  retiring  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  large  and  profitable  law 
practice.  While  in  Congress,  Mr.  Bunn  was  a  distinguished  figure,  and  ranked  among  the  strongest  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  great  Democratic  congressional  majorities  of  those  halcyon  years.  Some  of  his  speeches  in  Congress 
were  so  notably  able  and  wise  that  they  were  distributed  broadcast  all  over  the  country  as  campaign  literature  by  the 
Democratic  National  Committee. 

Mr.  Bunn  was  happily  married  November  7th,    1871,    to    Miss   Harriet   A.  Philips,  a  lady  of  much  culture  and 

239 


refinement,  and  a  daughter  of  Dr.  James  J.  Philips,  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  the  state.  Two 
of  her  brothers  were  Ex-Judge  Fred  Philips  and  Hon.  Joseph  B.  Philips,  among  North  Carolina's  most  gifted  sons. 

Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bunn,  as  follows:  Miss  Mary  (now  Mrs.  Dr.  G.  L.  Wimberly),  Miss 
Hattie,  Miss  Bessie,  Miss  Annie  Lee  (now  Mrs.  R.  B.  Davis  Jr.,)  Mr.  Benj.  H.  Bunn  Jr.,  Miss  Laura  Maude,  Miss 
Catherine,  Mr.  Redmun  Bunn  (deceased),  and  Mr.  James  P.  Bunn,  now  one  of  the  ablest  practitioners  of  the  Rocky 
Mount  bar,  and  one  of  the  influential  and  strong  political  leaders  of  Nash  County  and  this  section. 

Mr.  Bunn  died  August  25th,  1907,  as  universally  mourned  by  the  entire  citizenship  of  this  city  and  county,  and 
indeed  of  all  this  section  of  the  state,  as  any  man  who  has  ever  lived  within  its  boarders.  During  the  last  years  of 
his  life,  he  devoted  his  entire  time  to  his  loved  profession  in  which  he  had  won  such  commanding  eminence,  and 
was  the  senior  member  of  the  noted  law  firm  of  Bunn,  Spruill  &  Bunn,  in  which  Honorable  F.  S.  Spruill  and  Mr. 
James  P.  Bunn  were  his  partners. 


240 


THE  TOBACCO  PLANTERS  WAREHOUSE 


The  above  is  a  picture  of  the  large  tobacco  warehouse  of  The  Tobacco  Planters  Warehouse  Co.,  one  of  the  best 
equipped  warehouses  in  North  Carolina.  The  company  that  conducts  it  is  composed  of  farmers,  who  proceed  on 
the  principle  that  the  farmers  should  sell  their  own  tobacco.  They  have  operated  the  warehouse  for  one  season  with 
distinct  success,  paying  a  dividend  of  16  per  cent,  and  the  future  is  most  promising  for  them.  Every  dollar  of  the 
capital  stock  is  backed  by  real  estate  to  a  greater  value. 

Mr.  David  Everett  is  President;  Mr.  W.  H.  Home,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  and  Mr.  P.  C.  Vestal,  Manager. 
They  sell  a  large  share  of  the  tobacco  sold  on  the  local  market. 

241 


■:■■-'.      "■;    ■;  ■  ■ 

'•"                          k        "*'!? ' ;     -."V 

m- 

61  litlH  ; 

:-'v.v"\  *  II'  ^r> 

Mfflllilli'.ii.  i!!1V.iii;!!li!!!i|  i 

1 

IN     '     -*>      r-raaaaai"                                f «■*»*- 

pjl 

■■■■;-?-. -_^_^^  ff/fB0*~~"  .-i                                    ^tti           MT 

""_  <■         ■    •'     '         '"  ■*a5*sl^P»s-i;  •,:.  -.-    «ai^^|. 

BRASWELL  HOUSE,  ROCKY  MOUNT,  N.  C. 

A  home-like  private  Boarding  House.     All  modern  conveniences.     Centrally  located.     Mrs.  M.   B.   Braswell 
Proprietress. 


242 


MR.  W.  E.  JEFFREYS  COUNTRY  RESIDENCE. 

Mr.  Jeffreys  has  lately  remodeled  his  residence  and  now  has  an  ideal  country  home  with  modern  conveniences. 
A  sketch  of  Mr.  Jeffreys  appears  elsewhere. 


243 


NASHVILLE. 


The  County  Seat  of  Nash  County.     A  Celebrated  Old  Town  That  is  Now 

Wide-Awake  to  Modern  Opportunities  and  Progress.     Center  of 

One  of  the  Fastest  Growing  Counties  in  North  Carolina. 

Nashville,  the  county  seat  of  Nash  County,  is  a  prosperous  town  of  750  people,  according  to  the  census  of 
1910  It  is  not  definitely  known  when  Nashville  was  first  established  with  stores  and  an  inn,  but  the  town  is  more 
than  100  years  old.  Nash  County  was  formed  in  1778,  and  in  1780  Micajah  Thomas,  a  large  land  owner  in  and 
around  the  present  site  of  Nashville,  sold  to  the  then  County  Commissioners,  Duncan  Lamm,  Edward  Moore,  Mat- 
thew Drake,  Nathan  Boddie  and  Arthur  Amngton,  and  their  successors  in  office,  three  acres  of  land,  more  or  less, 
for  the  public  buildings.  The  consideration  was  10  pounds  of  "good  and  lawful  money,"  so  recorded  in  Book  1, 
Page  112,  of  the  Nash  County  registry.  .*,,.„  j  L    ,*■  t_     i 

In  Book  10,  Page  167,  of  the  Nash  County  registry,  is  a  plot  of  the  town  of  Nashville  as  surveyed  by  Michael 
Collins  This  plot  was  made  in  1820,  the  Commissioners  carrying  out  the  order  of  the  General  Assembly  of  North 
Carolina.  The  Commissioners  were:  Michael  Collins,  Archibald  Lamon,  David  Ricks,  Willie  Bunting,  and  Joseph 
Hopkins  According  to  the  plot  of  1820,  Nashville  was  70  poles  long,  with  Washington  street,  and  64  poles  wide  ax 
one  end  and  13  poles  wide  at  the  other.  There  were  no  streets  parallel  to  Washington  street,  and  Hilliard,  Collins, 
Alston  and  Boddie  streets  were  given  as  cross  streets.     There  was  also  Drake  alley.  _    ' 

Nashville  for  a  long  time  was  simply  the  county  seat,  a  sleepy  and  delightful  village  with  little  growth,  but  in 
recent  years  it  has  taken  on  new  life.  There  are  a  number  of  handsome  brick  business  houses,  and  no  town  of  its 
size  in  the  State  has  handsomer  residences.  The  streets  were  a  long  time  virtually  sand  banks,  but  within  the  past 
two  years  the  principal  streets,  Washington  and  Railroad,  have  been  made  into  splendid  sand-clay  thoroughfares, 
and  other  improvements  are  being  made  in  the  town.  The  present  officers  are:  J.  H.  T.  Baker,  mayor,  and  Dr. 
T.  T.  Ross,  G..  L.  Jones,  R.  U.  Brooks  and  G.  N.  Bissette,  commissioners.     I.  W.  Strickland  is  chief  of  police.    In 

244 


giving  the  population  of  Nashville,  it  might  be  well   to   say   that   it   is   nearly  all  white,  as  the  negro  population  live 
beyond  the  corporate  limits  of  the  town. 


NASH  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE,  Nashville,  N.  C. 


NEW  GRAND  JURY  BUILDING,  Nashville,  N.  C. 


Nashville  is  situated  on  the  Spring  Hope  branch  of  the  A.  C.  L.  Railroad,  ten  miles  west  of  Rocky  Mount.  The 
town  has  numerous  large  mercantile  and  supply  houses,  a  large  lumber  concern,  newspaper  and  job  printing  concern, 
and  other  enterprises.  The  County  Commissioners  have  recently  had  a  modern  plumbing  and  sewerage  system  in- 
stalled in  the  county  buildings,  and  it  is  thought  this  will  soon  be  extended  to  the  business  places  and  residences  of 
the  town. 

Nashville  is  situated  near  the  center  of  Nash  County,  long  famous  for  the  celebrated  "Nash  County  Brandy" 
(some  of  which  is  still  left),  birt  which  has  become  best  known  during  the  past  decade  as  a  county  which  "does 
things,"  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  progressive  and  fastest  growing  counties  in  North   Carolina.     Among  the  large 

245 


movements  now  on  foot  are:  a  powerful  good  roads  movement  that  is  accomplishing  line  results;  the  establishment 

w "  u ^chu0lM,and  W  schools;  and  the  voting  of  special  taxes  for  schools  by  districts  all  over  the  county 
th    St  t  an         S    County  during  the  next  ten  years— no  better  record  will  be  made  by  any  county  iri 


STREET  SCENE  IN  NASHVILLE'S  BUSINESS  SECTfON 


246 


MR'   S.  G.  GRIFFIN,  Vice-Piesideiu 


Vaughan,  E.  B.  Grantham  and  W.  G.  Robinson. 


THE  BANK  OF  NASHVILLE. 

The  Only  Bank  at  The  County  Seat  Of  Nash  County 
Well-Managed,   Conservative  And  Safe.    A  Popu- 
lar Institution. 

The  Bank  of  Nashville  was  organized  in  1902,  with  $5,000.  capital.     From  its 
initial  day,  it  has  prospered  and  grown,  both  in  deposits   and  in  the   confidence  of 
the  people.     The  capital  has  since   been    increased   to   $15,000,    this   being  made 
necessary  by  the  Volume  of  business  transacted,  which   has  been  constantly  swell- 
ing     Much  of  the  success  of  this  bank  is  and  has   been  due  no  doubt  to  the  finan- 
cial strength,  fine  ability  and  unswerving  integrity  of  its  management.     The  Presi- 
dent is  Hon.  Samuel  F.  Austin,  Attorney  at  Law,    and   ex-County  Judge,  one  of 
IN  ash  County  s  leading  lawyers  and  most   progressive   business   men,  of  whom  a 
sketch  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  book.     The  Vice-President  is  Mr.  S.  G   Griffin 
a  sate  and  sound  business  man,  who   commands   the   confidence   of  every  citizen 
who  has  ever  come  in  contact  with  him.  Mr.  Griffin  is  a  native  Nash  County  boy 
having  been  born  near  Red  Oak.     Prior  to   his   connection   with  the  bank,  which 
began  in  1907,  he  was  associated  in  responsible   positions  with  the  A   C    L   R    R 
■ii  an.d  rth  the  Arrington-Bissett  Co.,  of   Nashville.     The  Cashier  of  the  bank 
1SLr  r'  J'  J ,      BridSers-  a  native  of  Nashville,  who   has   by   his  honorable  life,  fine 
ability  and  unfailing  courtesy,  won  the  regard  of  every  patron  of  the  bank  and  of 
the  people  ot  the  county.     The  Board  of   Directors  is   an   exceptionally  fine  one, 
being  composed  of  able  and  conservative  business  men   in   whom  the  public  have 
every  confidence.     It  is  as  follows:    Messrs.    S.    F.   Austin,    S.  G.  Griffin    R    U 
Brooks,  W.  G.  Dozier,  J.  N.  Sills,  S.  J.    Bartholomew,   J.    D.    Winstead,  L   T 


247 


MR.  SAMUEL  S.  GAY 


MR.  S.  S.  GAY,  Treasurer 


Treasurer  Of  Nash  County 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  born  son  of  Nash  County,  the  date  of 
his  birth  being  April  30,  1862.  Mr.  Gay  was  born  in  what  is  now  Stony  Creek 
Township,  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  Nash  and  Edgecombe  Counties.  He 
was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  has  remained  a  farmer,  although  accumulating  other 
business  interests  from  year  to  year.  Although  he  now  holds  the  position  of 
Treasurer  of  Nash  County,  he  stills  conducts  his  farm  and  is  devoted  to  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  the  County.  Mr.  Gay  was  married  April  6,  1887  to  Miss 
Robbins  of  Rocky  Mount  Township,  Nash  County,  N.  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gay 
have  at  this  time  four  children,  three  girls  and  one  boy. 

In  the  year  1897,  Mr.  Gay  moved  to  Nashville,  the  county  seat,  and  so  well 
did  he  discharge  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen,  and  gain  the  respect  of  the  people  of 
the  town  that  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Nashville  in  1901,  in  which  position  he 
served  faithfully  and  capably  for  four  years,  giving  the  city  a  clean  government 
that  was  satisfactory  to  all.  Mr.  Gay  has  always  been  a  strong  Democrat  and  has 
done  fine  service  for  the  party.  Recognizing  his  strong  claims  the  Demo- 
cratic party  in  1910  elected  him  Treasurer  of  the  County,  in  which  position  he  is 
now  serving  with  splendid  ability  and  absolute  fidelity  to  the  trust  that  has  been 
reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens  of  Nash  County. 

248 


MR.  CHARLES  L.  JOHNSTON -Sheriff  of  Nash  County. 


Mr.  Charles  Lee  Johnston,  the  popular  and  capable  Sheriff  of  Nash  County 
is  yet  a  young  man,  having  been  born  in  Battleboro,  Nash  Co.,  March  26,  1873' 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  county,  and  also  some  excellent  private 
schools.  While  he  lived  in  Battleboro  most  of  the  time  during  his  early  you.h  and 
attended  school  much  of  the  time,  it  might  be  said  that  he  is  a  farmer,  born  and 
bred,  for  nearly  all  of  his  spare  time  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm,  a  few  miles 
from  town.  In  1892  when  19  years  of  age,  Mr.  Johnston  moved  to  the  farm  he 
now  owns,  and  for  a  number  of  years  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits  In 
1897  and  1898  Mr.  Johnston  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  of  the  County,  under  his 
uncle,  the  late  Sheriff  J.  H.  Wheless.  During  these  years,  he  gained  much  of  the 
experience  that  has  enabled  him  to  make  such  a  popular  and  capable  official  during 
his  incumbency  as  Sheriff  of  the  county.  In  1899,  he  entered  the  tobacco  busi- 
ness and  that  year  conducted  a  tobacco  warehouse  in  Nashville  The  following 
year,  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  C.  C.  Cooper,  the  veteran  tobacco  warehouse- 
man of  Rocky  Mount,  and  remained  with  Mr.  Cooper  during  the  years  1900-01- 
02-03.  In  1904  Mr.  Johnston  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Bradley  of  Edgecombe 
County,  and  that  year  moved  back  to  his  farm  in  Nash  County. 

Mr.  Johnston  has  always  been  a  strong  Democrat  and  a  hard  fighter  in  every 
political  contest  that  has  been  conducted  in  the  county  since  his  early  youth  Rec- 
ognizing his  services  to  the  party,  the  Democrats  of  Nash  in  1906  elected  him 
Sheriff  of  Nash  County.  So  satisfactorily  did  he  discharge  the  difficult  and  re- 
sponsible duties  of  his  office  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1908,  and  re-elected  for  a  third 
term  in  1910.  Sheriff  Johnston  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  most  prominent  families 
in  the  county,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge,  and  is  universally  admitted 
that  he  has  made  one  of  the  best  sheriffs  that  the  county  has  ever  had.  Being  pos- 
sessed of  the  highest  order  of  physical  courage  and  just  in  the  prime  of  vigorous 
manhood,  Sheriff  Johnston  has  performed  the  hard  responsibilities  that  have  de- 
volved upon  him  with  unusual  zest  and  efficiency.     He  makes  his   home   now  in   Nashville,  the  county  seat  of  his 


MR.  C.  L.  JOHNSTON.  Sheriff 


r     ' -..vu.»i«.     -voi  uiiu    v.iiiwi_iiv,j(  .         nt    llldlS.es      HIS      11U111C      IIUW      II 

:ounty,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Pythian,  Elks  and  Masonic  fraternities. 


249 


THE  NASH  SUPPLY  COMPANY 

The  Oldest  and  Leading  Mercantile  and  Supply  House 

in  Nashville,  and  Extensive  Buyers  of 

Cotton 


MR.  W.  G.  DOZIER,   G 


<eneral  Manager 


im« Jr       ♦     k  and  best  known   mercantiIe  concern  at  the  county  seat  of 

Nash  County,  being  successors  to  V.    B.    Batchelor,  who   conducted  a  mercantife 

t?  Lr,0m  away  back  in  the  eariy  history  of  the  town  mercantile 

1  he  Nash  Supply  Company  was  incorporated  under  its  present  name  in  1905 

SIS0  K6nt  °HffiCerS  3nd   st°<*holders   are   men   who   represent   much  of  the 

Pre  Sent  SY  f"  CJ^v"  S&,rit  °i  the  t0VTVand  county-  They  are  as  follows^ 
President,    S   F.   Austin;   Vice-President  and   General  Manager,  W.  G   Dozier 

Secretary  and  Treasurer,  G.  M.  Strickland.  Stockholders,  th£  foregoing  and  in 
Henrvn:  aT?\?*  ?"„Bah?d?r'  V.  A.  Batchelor,    W.  L.  Strickland  and  J   W 

m     w  W  Judee  Austin,  the  President,  is  given  elsewhere. 

Mr.  W.  G.  Dozier,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager,  is  one  of  the 
county  s  most  prominent  and  successful  citizens,  and   is   know?   as  an  aggress ive 

14  Iffl?  »n« ^"Sf  m?nHger;,  Mr,  DPzie^  was  born  near  Nashville  sfpfemS 
14,  1883  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Nash   County.     For  some  years  he 

90V Li  Son'  ■»  raShVlli6'  and  ^where  in  the  county,  with  fine  success      Fom 
1903  to  1909,  inclusive,  he  was  Cashier  of  the  Bank  of   Nashville,  winning  in  that 


250 


position  golden  laurels  for  efficiency,  courtesy  and  general  fit- 
ness. He  retired  from  the  bank  in  1909  to  enter  the  mercantile 
business,  his  firm  selling  out  to  The  Nash  Supply  Company,  of 
which  concern  Mr.  Dozier  was  at  once  elected  Vice-President 
and  General  Manager.  From  a  comparatively  small  business, 
when  Mr.  Dozier  took  charge,  this  concern  has  phenomenally 
grown  until  it  is  now  doing  an  enormous  cash  and  time  busi- 
ness—the largest  in  the  city.  Besides  the  usual  mercantile  and 
supply  lines,  they  make  a  specialty  of  high-grade  fertilizers, 
selling  a  great  quantity,  and  this  year,  (191 1),  have  added  a 
splendidly  equipped  Millinery  Department,  which  is  very 
popular. 

Mr.  Dozier  was  married  some  years  ago  to  Miss  Annie 
Brooks,  the  gifted  and  accomplished  daughter  of  Mr.  R.  U. 
Brooks,  one  of  the  county's  most  substantial  citizens.  Mrs. 
Dozier  is  a  lady  of  unusual  business  judgment  and  talent,  and 
no  doubt  has  contributed  much  to  the  notable  success  of  her 
husband. 


NASH  SUPPLY  COMPANY'S    QUARTERS 


251 


MR.  J.  B.  BODDIE. 

Register  Of  Deeds  Of  Nash  County. 

Mr.  John  Buchanan  Boddie,  the  present  efficient  Register  of  Deeds  of  Nash 
County,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  capable  men  who  have  ever  occupied  that 
office.  Mr.  Boddie  is  not  only  capable  and  efficient,  but  he  is  universally  polite 
and  courteous  to  everybody  who  has  occasion  to  visit  his  office,  numberless  times 
going  out  of  his  way  to  do  a  service.  Mr.  Boddie  is  very  loyal  to  his  friends,  of 
whom  he  has  as  many  as  any  man  who  lives  in  the  county,  and  they  always  know 
that  they  can  count  on  him. 

Mr.  Boddie  is  a  native  of  Nash  county,  having  been  born  four  miles  north  of 
Nashville,  on  August  27,  1858.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  county.  He  has  lived  all  his  life  here,  devoting  unremit- 
tingly his  ability  and  energy  to  the  cause  of  progress  and  improvement  in  his  native 
county.  Mr.  Boddie  served  as  Treasurer  of  Nash  County  for  four  years,  from 
1880  to  1884.  Later  he  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Nashville,  con- 
ducting one  of  the  largest  concerns  at  that  time  in  the  town.  From  1900  to  1908 
he  was  assistant  to  the  Register  of  Deeds  of  Nash  County.  In  1908  he,  himself, 
was  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  after  a  hard,  spirited  contest,  and  was  re-elected 
unanimously  last  year,  1910,  for  another  term  of  two  years.  It  is  quite  probable 
that  the  people  of  Nash  County  will  keep  Mr.  Boddie  in  his  present  position  for  a 
number  of  years  to  come,  for  he  has  become  known  as  a  hard  man  to  beat,  his 
honorable  and  capable  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office  having  been  most  satis- 
factory to  the  people  of  the  county.  Mr.  Boddie  was  married  a  number  of  years 
ago  to  Miss  Eugenia  Taylor,  daughter  of  Col.  K.  C.  Taylor,  of  Whitakers,  N.  C. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boddie  have  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter,  both  cf  whom 
are  grown.  Mr.  Boddie  resides  in  Nashville,  the  county  sea!  of  Nash  County, 
where  he  is,  in  addition  to  his  official  duties,  faithfully  performing  the  duties  of  a  good  and  useful  citizen. 

252 


MR.  J.   B.    BODDIE,  Register  of  Deed* 


HON.  SAMUEL  F.  AUSTIN 

President  of  The  Bank  of  Nashville,  Ex-County  Judge  and  a  Leader  of  the  Nash 

County  Bar 


HON.  S.  F.  AUSTIN 


beautiful  residence  in  the  suburbs  of  Nashville. 


Honorable  Samuel  F.  Austin  is  not  only  an  able  lawyer,  but  is  one  of  the 
most  resourceful  aud  influential  business  men  in  Nash  County.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  extent  of  his  interests  and  influence,  it  is  only  necessary  to  name  the  im- 
portant concerns  in  the  conduct  of  which  his  is  a  potent  hand,  to-wit-  He  is  Presi- 
d<Znl  ofr}he,  Ba,nJ,  of  Nashvi"e,  President  of  the  Nash  Supply  Company,  Treasurer 
of  the  Parker- Whitaker  Lumber  Company,  President  of  the  Nashville  Publishing 
Company,  Vice-President  of  the  Farmers  Oil  Company,  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Austin  &  Batchelor,  horse  and  mule  dealers,  and  President  of  the  Austin-Stephen- 
son Company,  a  large  mercantile  concern  at  Smithfield.  He  is  also  a  prominent 
Director  of  the  Underwriters  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Rocky  Mount 
,o„nJucJ?e  Austin,  was  born  in  Johnston  County,  North  Carolina,  September  20, 
18o9.  He  was  educated  and  read  law  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina  and 
was  licensed  to  practice  in  1895.  The  same  year  he  located  at  Nashville  for  the 
practice  of  his  profession.     From  his  first  coming  to   Nashville   he  has  evidenced 

,egaLnndLbusiness  abiIity  of  a  high  order>  as  we"  as  a  clean  a"d  honorable  life 
In  1904  the  people  of  Nash  elected  him   a   member  of  the  Legislature  where  he 
rendered  conscicuous  service.     For  two  terms  he   served  as  County  Judge   mak- 
ing in  that  high  station  a  fine  record  for  probity   and   profound   knowledge' of  the 
law,  retiring  in  1911  to  resume  his  large  law  practice. 

Judge  Austin  was  married  several  years  ago  to  Miss  Ida  Batchelor,  daughter 
<>i    'ii .  \     11.  Batchelor,  a  wealthy  and  prominent  citizen  of  Nash.     They  have  a 


253 


MR.  R.  C.  CALTON,  Manager. 


NASHVILLE  DRUG  COMPANY 

The  Leading  Druggists  and 
Prescriptionists 

This  store  was  established  under  its  present  name  in  1905,  and  was  incor- 
porated two  years  ago— 1909.     The  officers  are  as  follows: 

President,  C.  L.  Johnston;  Vice-President,  J.  N.  Sills;  Treasurer,  R.  H. 
Patterson;  Secretary  and  Manager,  R.  C.  Calton.  Directors,  C.  L.  Johnston  J 
N.  Sills,  R.  C.  Calton,  R.  H.  Patterson,  Mrs.  R.  H.  Patterson,  Dr.  J.  T.  Strick- 
land and  T.  A.  Sills.     Authorized  capital,  $5,000.     Paid  in  capital,  $3,200. 

This  is  the  leading  drug  store  of  Nashville,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  for  artis- 
tic arrangement,  neatness  and  cleanliness  of  the  store,  and  completeness  of  the 
lines  carried,  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  drug  store  in  any  town  in  the  state  the 
size  of  Nashville.  The  rule  of  the  store  is  the  utmost  care  in  the  compounding  of 
prescriptions,  and  aggressive  progress  in  the  conduct  of  the  business.  Besides  a 
complete  line  of  drugs,  (which  include  the  famous  Rexall  Remedies),  this  store 
carries  the  well  known  Liggett's  and  Fenway's  lines  of  Chocolates,  also  a  com- 
plete stock  of  toilet  articles,  stationery,  cigars,  tobacco  and  every  thing  kept  in  the 
most  up-to-date  drug  store. 

The  managers  and  directors  of  this  company  are  among  the  strongest  and 
most  prominent  business  men  in   this   section   of  the   State.     The  Secretary  and 


254 


J 


Manager,  Mr.  R.  C.  Calton,  is  an  energetic  and  resourceful  business  manager.  He  is  a  native  of  Rutherford  County 
North  Carolina,  and  was  born  October  7th,  1883.     Mr.  Calton  came   to   Nashville  as  manager  of  this  store  in  1907' 
and  by  his  strict  business  methods  and  honorable  life  has  won   the   respect   and   confidence  not  only  of  his  business 
associates,  but  of  the  whole  community.     Mr.  Calton  was  married  in    1909  to   Miss   Willie  K.  Poovey,  an  attractive 
and  gifted  lady  of  Ridgeway,  S.  C,  who  was  formerly  a  teacher  in  the  Nashville  Graded  Schools 


INTERIOR  VIEW  NASHVILLE  DRUG  CO. 


255 


MR.  BERNARD  A.  BROOKS 


MR.  BERNARD  A.  BROOKS 

Attorney  At  Law 

Mr.  Bernard  Alexander  Brooks  is  a  native  of  Person  County  North  Caro- 
lina, and  was  born  October  4,  1878.  His  father,  Mr.  R.  U.  Brooks  one  of  Nash 
County's  most  respected  citizens,  moved  to  Castalia,  Nash  County,  when  youns 
Brooks  was  a  year  old,  and  in  1887  came  to  Nashville. 

Mr.  B.  A.  Brooks  was  educated  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  took 
his  law  course  there.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  August  1902  and  first 
located  at  Thomasville,  N.  C.  While  practicing  in  Thomasville,  Mr.  Brooks  was 
married  to  Miss  Nellie  D.  Cramer,  (daughter  of  Mr.  John  T.  Cramer,  of  that  city) 
who  died  only  four  months  afterwards. 

Mr.  Brooks  left  Thomasville,  coming  to  Nashville  to  permanently  locate  in 
TOmSeri92J'  For  some  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  strong  law  firm 
?XW ?odfrd'c  X^?rpe  &  Brooks>  composed  of  Mr.  Brooks,  Honorable  Fred  A 
Woodard,  of  Wilson,  and  Judge  W.  L.  Thorpe,  of  Rocky  Mount,  which  firm  was 
dissolved  a  few  weeks  ago,  at  Mr.  Brook's  suggestion,  on  the  election  of  fudge 
Thorpe  as  County  Judge  of  Nash  County. 

In  1906  Mr.  Brooks  was  elected   Mayor  of   Nashville,  and  gave  the  town  a 
clean  and  capable  administration.     He  was  married  the  second  time  on  February 
17,  1909,  to  Miss  Birdie  Taylor,  daughter  of  Col.  W.  C.  Taylor,  of  Whitakers  N 
C,  the  head  of  one  of  the  most  prominent  families  in  the  county. 

During  a  number  of  campaigns  Mr.  Brooks  has  been  actively  engaged  in 
politics  As  a  lawyer  he  is  diligent  and  well  equipped.  His  offices  are  in  the 
Grand  Jury  Building. 


256 


MR.  THOMAS  A. 


A.  SILLS.  Clerk  of  Co 


Clerk  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Na.      Jounty. 

If  there  is  at  this  time  one  citizen  of  Nash  County  who  is  more  popular  than 
any  other,  that  one  is  the  well-known  and  beloved  Clerk  of  the  Superior  Court, 
Thomas  Alfred  Sills.  Mr.  Sills  not  only  faithfully  and  capably  discharges  the 
duties  of  his  responsible  office,  but  he  makes  it  a  point  to  render  the  most  accom- 
modating and  cheerful  attention  and  service  to  every  citizen  of  the  county  who 
has  business  with  him.  The  rich  and  the  poor  alike  find  in  him  a  kind  and  stead- 
fast friend,  and  his  hand  is  always  open  to  help  the  deserving  and  the  needy. 
These  things,  added  to  the  fact  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  lovable  of  men  and  pos- 
sesses a  name  that  is  synonomous  with  honor  and  probity  in  Nash  County,  have 
made  him  so  popular  and  loved  by  all  classes  of  citizens,  that  it  is  simply  impos- 
sible to  defeat  him  before  the  people  of  his  county.  He  is  now  serving  his  fourth 
term  as  Clerk  of  the  Superior  Court,  having  been  first  elected  in  1898.  and 
re-elected  in  1902,  1906  and  1910,  winning  overwhelming  victories  each  time,  and 
having  no  opposition  at  all  in  two  of  his  campaigns.  He  is  a  strong  Democrat  of 
the  old  school. 

Mr.  Sills  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Gray  Sills,  and  was  born  near  Castaiia,  March  7, 
1850,  and  was  reared  on  the  old  Sills  Farm,  which  has  been  in  the  family  since 
1798.  He  was  a  practical  farmer  all  his  life  until  elected  Clerk  of  the  Court.  Mr. 
Sills  was  married  November  16,  1882,  to  N[\ss  Pattie  Thompson,  of  Mississippi,  by 
whom  he  has  five  children.  Mr.  James  N.  Sills,  one  of  his  sons,  is  the  cour- 
teous and  competent  Assistant  Clerk  of  the  Superior  Court,  and  Mr.  Scott  Sills, 
another  of  his  sons,  is  Assistant  Cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Rocky 
Mount.     Mr.  Sills  resides  in  Nashville,  the  county  seat. 


257 


MR.  W.  H.  PROCi 


One  of  Nash  County's  Useful  and  Prominent  Citizt. 
A  Successful  Business  Man  and  a  Staunch 

Democrat 


MR.  W.   H.  PROCTOR 


Among  the  men  of  Nash  who  have  achieved  substantial  business  success 
useful  citizenship  is  numbered  Mr.  William  Henry  Proctor,  the  subject  o 
sketch,  who  was  born  September  9,  1867. 

Mr.  Proctor  is  a  native  of  Cooper's  Township,  Nash  County,  and  is  a 
the  late  Mr.  H.  H.  Proctor,  a  prominent  planter  of  the  county  and  one  of 
stantial  citizens.     Mr.  W.  H.  Proctor  was  raised   on   the   farm,    and  dev 
strength  of  character  and  determination,  together  with   habits  of  industn 
plication  that  doubtless  account  for  much  of  the   wide  success  he  has  ? 
his  business  career  and  the  esteem  in  which   he  is  held   by  his  fellow 
Nash  County. 

The  main  occupations  in  which  Mr.  Proctor  has  been  engaged 
and  the  saw  mill  business,  and  he  has  been  eminently  successful  in 
entered  the  saw  mill  business  in  1900,  and  his  record  has  been  on. 
success,  both  financially  and  in  the  building  of  a  reputation  as  a  safe 
as  well  as  a  fair  and  honorable,  business  man.  Thoroughly  informed 
enced  in  all  the  details  of  the  necessary  processes  of  his  business,  and 
up  with  splendid  ability  and  untiring  energy,  it  was  inevitable  that 
should  succeed.  Incidentally,  he  has  accumulated  a  very  comfo: 
this  world's  goods,  and  his  residence   on    his   well-filled   and  well  : 


258 


....  of  tile  prettiest  in  the  lol.  cy.     As  a  planter  Mr.  Proctor  has  been  no  less  successful  than 

riis  home  and  plantation  are  in  what  is   now  Oak  Level  Township,  (formerly  Cooper's  Town- 

autiful  appearance  cf  his  farm  and  the  ideal  arrangement  of  his  home  have  been  the  subject  of  much 

those  who  have  seen  them.     The  Oak  Level   Stock   Farm,  of  which   Mr.  Procter  is  proprietor  is 

id  most  favorably  known  in  the  county.     Here  Mr.  Proctor  raises  sone  of  the  most  famous  breeds 

try,  including  Yorkshires,  Berkshires  and  Duroc  Jerseys. 

,  >,.  eminence  in  a  business  way,  Mr.  Proctor  has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  energetic  and 

z  Democratic  workers  in  Nash  Count, .     He  served  ten  years   successively  as  JusK      of  the  Peace  of 

ownship,  making  an  excellent  record,  and  finally   resigning   on   account   of  the   pressui.    f  his  private 

in  every  campaign  in  the  county  since  his  early  manhood,  Mr.    Proctor   has   been   a   strong  ^set  to  the 

.Htic  party,  and  a  man  on  whom  the  party  could  rely.  For  twenty  years  past,  with  the  exception  of  two  vears, 

been  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Executive  Committee  of  the  county,  rendering  very  effective  service'    Be 

i  strong  supporter  of  the  school  interests  and  is  always  ready  to  lend  his  support  to   any  movement  that  will 

the  educations  interests  of  his  native  county. 

'des  his  other  business  interests,  Mr.    Proctor  has  a  large   merchandise  brokerage  business,  representing 

^  .eading  concerns  of  the  country,  selling  meats,  lard  and  provisions,  hay   and  grain,  tobaccos  and  cigars 

■^nd  tombstones.  s 

froctor  was  married  several  years  ago  to  Miss   Moore,  of  Wilson  County,  an  attractive  and  gifted  woman 
Tiber  of  a  prominent  Wilson  County  family.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Proctor  have  been   blessed   with  five  healthy 
"d  intelligent  children,  three  of  whom  are  boys  and  two  are  girls 


2m 


MR.  Li 


T.  VAUu.. 


Attorney  At  Law,  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  Nash  County  and  I 
Democratic  County  Executive  Committee 

Mr.  Leon  Thomas  Vaughan  is  a  native  of  Halifax  County,  I 
born  at  Scotland  Neck  September  25,  1875.     He  was  educated  at 
Academy  of  Scotland  Neck,  and  at  Wake   Forest  College,  graduating 
of  1902.     He  taught  school  for  two  years,  being  principal  of  the  Chun: 
School  in  Warren  County,  N.  C,  evidencing  in    his   educational  worr-    . 
high  order.     In  the  meantime  Mr.  Vaughan  took  the  law  course  at  Wake 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  due  course   in   August,  1903.     After   finishin 
term  of  his  school  in  Warren  County  he  came  to   Nashville  in  May,  1904,  * 
manently  locate  for  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Mr.  Vaughan  has  impressed  the  people  of   Nashville   and    Nash  Cou 
the  fact  that  he  is  not  only  a  gifted  lawyer,  but  is  a   man   of  the  highe^ 
While  making  his  profession  a  very  jealous  mistress,  he  yet  finds  tin? . 
aid  every  movement  that  is  inaugurated  calculated  to   promote  the  progr 
town  and  county.     He  is  a  strong  Democrat,  and   since   his   coming  to 
has  been  one  of  the  strongest  forces  in  every  political  campaign.     Recog 
fine  executive  ability  and  his  excellent  qualifications  for  leadership,  the  U 
of  the  County  in  1910  elected  him  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  County 
Committee.     The  faith  of  the  party  was  fully    justified    in   the  days  tha 
Mr.  Vaughan  conducted  an  aggressive  and  intelligent  campaign  that  res 
almost  unparalleled  Democratic  majority  in  the   November  election.     ( 
ation  of  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorn  ;y  for  the  Recorder's  Court  c1, 
by  the  Legislature  of  1911,  Mr.  Vaughan  was  unanimously  elected  t 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners.     His  splendid  ability  and  faithful  application  have  given  Mr- 
private  practice.     Mr.  Vaughan  was  married  March  28,  1906,  to  Miss  Mary    Laura    Ross,  char 
T.  T.  Ross,  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the  county. 

260 


MR.  I.KON  T.  VAUGHAN